Construction on The Obama Presidential Center has been put on hold after a noose was discovered at the location on Chicago’s South Side, NBC News reports.
The Lakeside Alliance, a group of Black-owned construction companies spearheading the project, said they are working with the Chicago Police Department to identify those responsible for what they called an “act of hate.”
“We are horrified that this would occur on our site,” the alliance said in a statement. In addition to pausing construction, the cohort of construction companies is offering a $100,000 reward to help find the person or people responsible. “
“We have zero tolerance for any form of bias or hate on our worksite. Anti-bias training is included in our onboarding process and reiterated during site-wide meetings,” the alliance continued in its statement.
The Obama Foundation responded with its own statement denouncing the action.” This shameless act of cowardice and hate is designed to get attention and divide us. Our priority is protecting the health and safety of our workforce. We have notified authorities who are investigating the incident.”
The center will feature a museum, a plaza, a rooftop garden and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library as part of the center that will preserve materials related to Barack Obama’s presidency, according to the center’s website.
The $500 million construction project was officially launched by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in September 2021.
