Obama Center subcontractor ceases operations over $4M in unpaid work

People watch the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza on June 18, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.

Weeks after the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, a subcontractor has ceased operations and laid off 25 union workers.

The Barack Obama Presidential Center, funded entirely through $850 million of private donations, officially opened to the public on June 19^th.

The owner of Adamson Plumbing Contractors in Chicago, one of the subcontractors for the presidential center, revealed that the financial repercussions forced the company to scrap half a dozen other construction jobs, which left Adamson on the brink of collapse.

The owner, Mike Owen, told Fox News that the decision to shut down operations was the only option to avoid bankruptcy.

“Laying off close to 30 people is something that no owner in our industry wants to do,” Owen said. “It’s a hard thing to do, especially when you know you can finish them and the company can still make money. But we were put in a pretty bad corner.”

Before the center had opened, Owen alleged that the massive project had left his company with $3.9 million in losses.

Adamson Contractors had previously filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the property, which threw the payment disagreement into a full-blown legal battle.

Owen’s firm is one of several subcontractors — including multiple minority-owned businesses — that reported severe financial strain, cost overruns and unpaid invoice disputes tied to the center’s construction, according to the Washington Times.

Owen spent months negotiating with Lakeside Alliance over losses tied to delays, rework, labor overruns and changing project demands before going public when the negotiations reached a standstill.