Obama Center subcontractor shuts down amid $4M fight, lays off 25 - Fox News

What the report says

Fox News reports that Chicago-based Adamson Plumbing Contractors has suspended operations and laid off 25 union workers amid a payment dispute tied to its work on the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. Owner Mike Owen told Fox News Digital the company, which worked on the project as Marsh-Adamson, was left unable to continue after alleged losses approaching $3.9 million from delays, rework, labor overruns and changing demands.

According to Fox, Owen said Adamson had been negotiating with Lakeside Alliance, the project’s construction manager, and expected a $100,000 payment around the center’s June opening after agreeing to provide two plumbers for last-minute nighttime work. He said the money did not arrive before he halted operations on June 25. Fox reported that the $100,000 retainage payment and about $35,000 in change-order payments were later received, but Owen said they came too late to reverse the shutdown.

The dispute has moved into legal proceedings. Fox said Marsh-Adamson filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the property, alleging unpaid amounts for plumbing work. Owen told the outlet the lien covers the sums he believes are most clearly documented, while he may still pursue a broader claim related to the larger losses he alleges.

Lakeside Alliance, a joint venture led by Turner Construction with several Black-owned Chicago firms, told Fox that closeout work on a major project continues after opening and that it remains committed to resolving outstanding matters. The Obama Foundation said Lakeside handled subcontractor payments and that the foundation had no unresolved disputed charges with Lakeside. The disagreement matters because the center was promoted as an economic opportunity for local and minority-owned businesses, and Fox says other subcontractors have also reported financial strain.