Latest news with #ObamaPresidentialCenter
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former President Obama visits Chicago to finalize Obama Presidential Center details
The Brief Former President Obama made several stops in Chicago to discuss details of the Obama Presidential Center. Obama went to Peach's Restaurant in Bronzeville and met with Chef Cliff Rome. The former president ordered shrimp and grits, salmon croquette and peach cobbler. CHICAGO - Former President Barack Obama made several stops in Chicago to discuss details of the Obama Presidential Center, from dining to the museum's exhibits and touring the site in Jackson Park. What we know Obama met with Chef Cliff Rome of Peach's Restaurant in Bronzeville. While there, the former president greeted some patrons and ordered shrimp and grits, salmon croquette and peach cobbler to go, based on Rome's recommendation. As the founder of Rome's Joy Companies Catering, Rome is partnering with Bon Appétit Management Company to run the Obama Presidential Center's restaurant, café and provide catering on the center's campus. Working together as "BAMJoy," the teams hope to meet the center's vision and needs. The backstory The Obama Presidential Center spans 19 acres and will feature an athletic center, fruit and vegetable garden, museum, auditorium, a Chicago Public Library branch, restaurant, café and more. The center is scheduled to open in 2026 and will be free and open to the public. The Source Details for this story are provided by a press release from the Obama Foundation.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Chicago mentorship program organizes all-girls' construction conference
A local mentoring program is on a mission to inspire young girls to be anything. On Wednesday, that meant introducing them to careers not thought of as typically being held by women. This week, 300 middle and high schoolers attended Chicago's first-ever All-Girls' Pink Hard Hat Construction Conference. The three-day workshop was organized by Polished Pebbles, a mentoring initiative that has been helping girls across the Chicago area for 15 years. The Polished Pebbles program held the conference in partnership with ComEd, Professional Women in Construction, and Lakeside Alliance — the construction team behind the Obama Presidential Center. "I feel like it's pretty cool for me to be a woman to learn about all these things for me to be able to have chance to be able to do," said Savanah Temple. "At first, I was like, 'No, I don't want to do that, it seems boring,' and stuff like that. But then I got here — it was actually pretty cool," said Amylah McCullough. "So don't say you don't like something until you try it." Donning pink hard hats and pink T-shirts, the girls had the opportunity to fly drones, learn to mix concrete, and hear directly from women working in the construction industry.
Newsweek
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Obama Library Update: Foundation Hits Back At Trump Claims
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, originally envisioned as a new landmark for the city's South Side, has hit back at claims of mismanagement from President Donald Trump. Despite the Obama Foundation's optimistic public updates, the project has faced major cost overruns, construction disputes and criticism from Trump. Newsweek contacted the Obama Foundation for comment on this story via email. The Context The delay and ballooning budget have made the project a flashpoint. The center's cost has nearly doubled from its original estimate and is now projected at close to $1 billion. The Obama Foundation has said that the project is privately funded and does not rely on taxpayer dollars. What To Know In a statement on Tuesday, the Obama Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to the center's vision, saying on X (formerly Twitter): "We can't wait to open our doors to the Obama Presidential Center next spring! "In addition to a world-class museum, the 19.3-acre campus will feature a gymnasium, a fruit and vegetable garden, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground, and so much more." The Obama Foundation's official updates say that work has proceeded to close the exterior of the main building, install glass and granite, and fit interior windows on museum levels. Additional insulation has been completed in other structures. However, Trump weighed in on the project during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, calling the project a "disaster," sharply criticizing its management and blaming "woke" hiring practices for its issues. Former President Barack Obama points out features of the proposed Obama Presidential Center, which is scheduled to be built in nearby Jackson Park, during a gathering at the South Shore Cultural Center on May 3,... Former President Barack Obama points out features of the proposed Obama Presidential Center, which is scheduled to be built in nearby Jackson Park, during a gathering at the South Shore Cultural Center on May 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. More Getty Images In response, the Obama Foundation pushed back on the president's remarks. "Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world," Emily Bittner, the foundation's vice president of communications, said in a statement to Newsweek. "We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas' legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders." The foundation also responded to the suggestion from Trump that work on the project had "stopped," saying that the president's characterization was not based on fact, and that it was instead a minor dispute between subcontractors that did not directly involve the foundation. The center was first announced with a budget of around $500 million. However, in 2022, the project cost had increased to about $830 million. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump said on Tuesday: "I mean look, President Obama—and if he wanted help, I'd give him help because I build on time and on budget—he's building his presidential library in Chicago. It's a disaster. And he said something to the effect, 'I only want DEI, I only want woke.' "He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns; the job is stopped. I don't know, it's a disaster." What's Next The Obama Foundation says work will continue at pace to ready the site for public visitors in 2026.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump offers to help Obama with presidential library's 'disaster'
President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered to help out with the development of the Obama Presidential Center, which has been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays, with the project's embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies drawing significant attention recently. Trump, who reshaped city skylines with towering skyscrapers throughout his business career, linked DEI to the problems at the massive Chicago project, which has seen costs spiral from an initial $350 million to $830 million in 2021, with no new updated figures available. "Look, President Obama, if he wanted help, I'd give him help because I'm a really good builder and I build on time, on budget. He's building his library in Chicago. It's a disaster," Trump said at the White House alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered to help out with the development of the Obama Presidential Center, which has been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays. The project has embraced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Obama Library, Begun With Lofty Dei Goals, Now Plagued By $40M Racially Charged Suit, Ballooning Costs Trump was speaking about the Biden administration's CHIPS Act -- passed to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing - and its DEI provisions when he pivoted to the Obama Presidential Center. "[Obama] said something to the effect, 'I only want DEI, I only want woke,'" Trump said. "He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns. A job is stopped. I don't know, it's a disaster. And I don't like that happening because it's bad for the presidency that a thing like that should happen. He's got a library that's a disaster." Read On The Fox News App Construction is still under way at the 19.3-acre site which will consist of a 225-foot-tall museum, a digital library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. From the outset, the project touted "ambitious goals" for certain construction diversity quotas, with its contracts allocated to "diverse suppliers," 35% of which were required to be minority-based enterprises (MBEs). A $40.75 million racially charged lawsuit filed earlier this year by a minority contractor against the project's structural engineer shined a spotlight on the DEI-driven aspect of the project. The structural engineers claimed the minority contractor lacked sufficient qualifications and experience to perform its work, resulting in delays. Trump on Tuesday said Obama was paying for prioritizing DEI over meritocracy. "And he wanted to be very politically correct and he didn't use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love Marco," Trump said, switching into his trademark deeper tone while addressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Obama Presidential Center aerial shot in March. Musk's Doge Terminates Lease At Obama Presidential Library Site "I love those construction workers but he didn't want construction workers. He wanted people that never did it before and he's got a disaster in his hands. Many millions of dollars over budget and I would love to help him with it or somebody else I could recommend professionals, but it was not built in a professional manner." Emily Bittner, the vice president of communications at the nonprofit Obama Foundation, said Trump's remarks were not based in facts and that the center itself is not involved in the lawsuit, nor did it delay the timeline of the facility which is set to open in 2026. The Obama Foundation oversees the center's development and will also be housed at the center when it opens. "Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world," Bittner told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas' legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders." Bittner said the hundreds of workers on site every day are a testament to the center's progress and added that the project is being funded privately and not by the taxpayer. The library at the center will be a digital one and not a physical one like other presidential libraries have, which are federally funded and have size restrictions. Obama's current presidential library is in Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is expected to move to College Park in Maryland later this year. Original article source: Trump offers to help Obama with presidential library's 'disaster'
Fox News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump offers to help Obama with presidential library's 'disaster'
President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered to help out with the development of the Obama Presidential Center, which has been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays, with the project's embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies drawing significant attention recently. Trump, who reshaped city skylines with towering skyscrapers throughout his business career, linked DEI to the problems at the massive Chicago project, which has seen costs spiral from an initial $350 million to $830 million in 2021, with no new updated figures available. "Look, President Obama, if he wanted help, I'd give him help because I'm a really good builder and I build on time, on budget. He's building his library in Chicago. It's a disaster," Trump said at the White House alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS Trump was speaking about the Biden administration's CHIPS Act -- passed to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing - and its DEI provisions when he pivoted to the Obama Presidential Center. "[Obama] said something to the effect, 'I only want DEI, I only want woke,'" Trump said. "He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns. A job is stopped. I don't know, it's a disaster. And I don't like that happening because it's bad for the presidency that a thing like that should happen. He's got a library that's a disaster." Construction is still under way at the 19.3-acre site which will consist of a 225-foot-tall museum, a digital library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. From the outset, the project touted "ambitious goals" for certain construction diversity quotas, with its contracts allocated to "diverse suppliers," 35% of which were required to be minority-based enterprises (MBEs). WATCH: The Brian Kilmeade Show: Obama Presidential Center rocked by $40M racial bias lawsuit A $40.75 million racially charged lawsuit filed earlier this year by a minority contractor against the project's structural engineer shined a spotlight on the DEI-driven aspect of the project. The structural engineers claimed the minority contractor lacked sufficient qualifications and experience to perform its work, resulting in delays. Trump on Tuesday said Obama was paying for prioritizing DEI over meritocracy. "And he wanted to be very politically correct and he didn't use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love Marco," Trump said, switching into his trademark deeper tone while addressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio. MUSK'S DOGE TERMINATES LEASE AT OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY SITE "I love those construction workers but he didn't want construction workers. He wanted people that never did it before and he's got a disaster in his hands. Many millions of dollars over budget and I would love to help him with it or somebody else I could recommend professionals, but it was not built in a professional manner." Emily Bittner, the vice president of communications at the nonprofit Obama Foundation, said Trump's remarks were not based in facts and that the center itself is not involved in the lawsuit, nor did it delay the timeline of the facility which is set to open in 2026. The Obama Foundation oversees the center's development and will also be housed at the center when it opens. "Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world," Bittner told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas' legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bittner said the hundreds of workers on site every day are a testament to the center's progress and added that the project is being funded privately and not by the taxpayer. The library at the center will be a digital one and not a physical one like other presidential libraries have, which are federally funded and have size restrictions. Obama's current presidential library is in Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is expected to move to College Park in Maryland later this year.
