The Obama Presidential Center‘s construction has been put on hold after a noose was discovered at the location on Chicago’s South Side, the builders announced on Thursday, denouncing what they called an “act of hate.”
The centre’s construction team, the Lakeside Alliance, released a statement saying, “We are shocked that this would occur on our property.”
The find at the project site was reported to authorities by the Lakeside Alliance, which claimed to have learned about it Thursday morning.
The Chicago Police Department is looking into it, according to a spokeswoman.
The Lakeside Alliance announced that it is halting development and providing a $100,000 reward to assist in identifying the offender or offender(s).
“Any sort of bias or hatred is not tolerated at our workplace. Anti-bias training is a part of our onboarding procedure, and it is reemphasized during site-wide gatherings, the organization said in a statement. “All operations on site are being suspended until we do another round of these training and discussions with every employee,” the statement reads.
The health and safety of its employees is a top priority, according to a statement from the Obama Foundation.
The organization stated that “this shameful act of cowardice and hate is aimed to garner attention and separate us.”
According to the centre’s website, it will also include a new branch of the Chicago Public Library, a museum, a plaza, a rooftop garden, and other elements that will honour and preserve artefacts from Barack Obama’s presidency.
According to the centre, construction on the project began in September 2021, and it is scheduled to open in 2025.
