Construction of Chicago’s Obama Presidential Center was temporarily halted after a noose was discovered at the construction site Thursday morning.
Lakeside Alliance, the construction company that builds the
$830 million center said it immediately informed police after the noose was denounced at the Jackson Park facility.
The company told The Post in a statement that it suspended “all operations on the site” to provide its employees with an additional set of anti-bias training, citing a “zero tolerance” policy “for any form of bias or hatred on our workplace. “
The company also claimed to offer a $100,000 reward for finding the culprit.
“We are shocked that this is happening on our site and are offering a $100,000 reward to help find the person or persons responsible for this shameful act. Lakeside Alliance remains committed to providing a workplace where everyone can feel safe, perform at their very best, and be treated with dignity and respect,” the statement said.
The Obama Foundation denounced the incident as “a shameless act of cowardice and hatred designed to draw attention and divide us.
“Our priority is to protect the health and safety of our workforce,” the Foundation said in a statement to The Post. “We have notified the authorities who are investigating the incident.”
Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, also condemned the act.
“Hate has no place in Illinois,” he said in a social media post. “The noose is more than a symbol of racism; it is a poignant reminder of the violence and terror inflicted on Black Americans for centuries.”
After years of delays and lawsuits, construction of the planned Presidential Center began in September 2021. Located along Lake Michigan on the south side of the city, where Barack Obama began his political career, the center will span approximately 19 acres and feature a museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a sports center, and a sports play area for children.
The privately funded center is expected to attract 750,000 visitors annually when it opens in 2026.
