Black-owned builder claims unfair treatment at Obama Center


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A Chicago subcontractor has filed a $40 million federal lawsuit against Thornton Tomasetti, alleging racial discrimination in the construction of the Obama Presidential Center.

II in One, owned by Robert McGee, provided concrete and rebar services for the $830 million project beginning in 2021. The lawsuit claims Thornton Tomasetti, the New York-based structural engineering firm, implemented stricter standards for rebar spacing and tolerance requirements that deviated from American Concrete Institute guidelines.

According to McGee’s lawsuit, these heightened requirements led to excessive inspections and overwhelming paperwork, resulting in significant productivity losses and financial strain.

“In a shocking and disheartening turn of events, the African American owner of a local construction company finds himself and his company on the brink of forced closure because of racial discrimination by the structural engineer,” the lawsuit reads.

“II in One and its joint venture partners… was subjected to baseless criticisms and defamatory and discriminatory accusations by the Obama Foundation’s structural engineer, Thornton Tomasetti.”

Thornton Tomasetti has defended its position, stating in a February 2024 memo that the issues stemmed from the subcontractors’ lack of experience and poor performance. The firm shared evidence of construction defects, including cracked slabs and exposed rebar.

“We cannot stand by while contractors attempt to blame their own shortcomings on the design team,” the memo states.

The engineering firm further noted that they and an architectural partner “bent over backwards to assist what everyone knows was a questionably qualified subcontractor team in areas where more qualified subcontractor would not have required it.”

The development, situated near Chicago’s Jackson Park, will house the Obama Foundation and include museum, library, and community facilities. The project has faced numerous challenges, including delayed groundbreaking from 2018 to 2021, with completion now expected in 2026.

Local opposition has centered on concerns about gentrification and environmental impact. Community members worry about rising housing costs, while environmental advocates have raised concerns about tree removal and wildlife habitat destruction.

These controversies were addressed by Obama during the 2021 groundbreaking ceremony, where he emphasized that the center would “plant new trees” and “provide new habitats for birds and wildlife.”

Despite legal challenges from activists, including an appeal to the Supreme Court which was rejected in 2021, the project has continued to move forward. The former president has expressed his vision for the center as a catalyst for South Side development and community unity.