Behind Schedule, Obama Presidential Center Construction Budget Balloons to $615M

Interactive center in Chicago is now expected to cost more than double its initial $300 million estimate

Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. — Photo by Jeff Yoders/ENR

Work continues on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park that now is expected to open next spring.

The cost to build former President Barack Obama’s Presidential Center rose to more than $615 million through the end of 2024, according to the latest filing from the Obama Foundation, the non-profit created to build it.

That is more than double the $300-million estimate when the center was first contemplated in 2016. Foundation officials changed the estimate to $500 million when the design was unveiled in 2017, Construction continues by the joint venture contractor, Lakeside Alliance, with the foundation’s most recent all-in project cost estimate—including artifacts, exhibits and finishes—is $850 million, foundation spokeswoman Emily Bittner said.

The project rising in Chicago's Jackson Park has been plagued by errors in concrete installation that prompted a lawsuit filed by concrete contractor II in One Construction against the project's engineer, Thornton-Tomasetti. It alleges discrimination against the minority-owned firm based on correspondence from the engineer critiquing its experience and quality of work. Rebar spacing is central to the dispute. A worker was also injured on the site after a fall in January.

The latest filing also continued to detail legal costs in a protracted court battle with local residents about land use in Jackson Park.

The latest construction cost estimate was included as part of the foundation’s annual report on its fundraising and spending, which the organization released in early September. The center, originally set to open this year, now is expected to welcome visitors next spring.

ENR Associate Technology, Equipment and Products Editor Jeff Yoders has been writing about design and construction innovations for 20 years. He is a five-time Jesse H. Neal award winner and multiple ASBPE winner for his tech coverage. Jeff previously wrote about construction technology for Structural Engineer, CE News and Building Design + Construction. He also wrote about materials prices, construction procurement and estimation for MetalMiner.com. He lives in Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, where the pace of innovation never leaves him without a story to chase.