Loop found in Obama Presidential Center halts construction

Foundation officials are condemning the “shameless act of cowardice and hate” at the site of former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Jackson Park on Thursday morning.

Officials say a loophole was discovered at the project site and construction was halted.

“We have reported the incident to the police and will provide any assistance necessary to identify those responsible,” Lakeside Alliance, the developer of the center, said in an emailed release.

“We do not tolerate any form of bias or hatred in our workplace. Anti-bias training is built into our onboarding process and is repeated during site-wide meetings. We are suspending all on-site operations to conduct another series of these trainings and debriefings for all staff and workers,” the statement said.

They are offering a $100,000 reward to help find the culprits.

“Our priority is to protect the health and safety of our employees. We have notified the authorities who are investigating the incident.”

The Chicago Police Department is aware of the case and is investigating, according to Sgt. Rocco Alioto, press secretary.

Foundation officials said the museum would pay tribute to Obama’s legacy as the first black president and attempt to boost the economy of the nearby black-majority South Side.

Lakeside Alliance is a joint venture of African-American-owned construction firms. City work to prepare for construction began in the spring of 2021, when the Obamas returned to Chicago for an official groundbreaking in September of that year.

As the sun began to set behind the construction site, a Chicago police officer stopped at one of five entrances to the Obama Center’s construction zone off South Stony Island Avenue, waited a few minutes to be let in, then met with a couple of workers at the site.

One of the workers handed the officer a white bag with what appeared to be a rope inside. The officer went back outside the central perimeter, put the bag in the squad car and drove off.

According to him, 29-year-old Rico Pineda leads a team of workers who have been working outside the perimeter of the Obama Center for about two months to install a water pipe.

Pineda learned about the situation from other workers.

“The first thing I thought was, everything is messed up,” Pineda said. “Racism still exists, even with a union job. This job is guaranteed to the worker inside until 2025. Why take the risk?”

Workers inside were told to go home, but no one seemed to have a clear idea of ​​how long they would be off the site.

“They don’t want the locals they’ve hired to fear that their lives are in danger,” Pineda said. “They said everything is closed until they really know what happened. It could take a week, a month, however long it takes for people to feel safe.”

Pineda wondered who could have done such a thing, adding that the five entry points are heavily guarded and there are also security cameras around the perimeter.

Sisters Rosemary Jackson, 81, Patricia Catlett, 66, and April Brinklin, 59, have lived next door for decades. Jackson and Catlett said they have lived at Jackson Park Terrace, 6020 S. Stony Island Ave., directly across from the Obama Center’s work site, for more than 40 years.

Jackson and Catlett said they learned what happened from their sister, Branklyn. They said they were “shocked” because they had no problems during their time in the area.

Cleared trees and poured concrete for the museum building and parking lot of the complex.

When completed, the campus will include a tall museum building, a forum and a branch of the Chicago Public Library, as well as a green space connecting the site to the rest of Jackson Park.

Afternoon briefing

Every day

Top articles from Chicago Tribune editors delivered to your inbox every day.

Governor J. B. Pritzker condemned the incident in a series of tweets Thursday. “Hate has no place in Illinois. The noose is more than a symbol of racism, it is a chilling reminder of the violence and terror black Americans have been subjected to for centuries.”

“I condemn this act of hate in the strongest possible terms and the state of Illinois will commit all necessary resources to help catch the perpetrators,” Pritzker tweeted.

The governor has been outspoken on issues related to discrimination and hate while resuming work Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes and just as condemning targeting UpRising Bakerycomments by Senator Darren Bailey comparing the lives lost to abortion to the holocaust and racially motivated attacks on Asian Americans.

Catlett said she worked at the local post office for almost 40 years before she retired and would leave work at 11:30 p.m. and walk home from the bus stop nearby and she never felt safe.

“I believe it was someone trying to make a joke, but there is no serious concern for people to be alarmed,” Catlett said. “It’s not funny at all. We are all here to love, help and work with each other.”

aquig@chicagotribune.com

sahmad@chicagotribune.com