Here Are The Black-Owned Firms Involved In Constructing The Obama Presidential Center Opening Juneteenth – AfroTech
Black-owned construction firms were involved in the building of the Obama Presidential Center.
The 19.3-acre campus, situated in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, will include a museum, a fruit and vegetable garden, a two-acre playground, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. It is expected to attract 700,000 visitors annually, benefiting nearby businesses, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Meet The Black-Owned Construction Firms
Former President Barack Obama said the center will encourage “leaders and people from all over the world to come together, get inspired, and take what they learn back to their own communities,” in an Instagram post.
In addition, four Black-owned construction firms teamed up with the Turner Construction Company to create the Lakeside Alliance to build the center, according to ABC7 Chicago. The participating firms included Powers & Sons Construction Company, Brown & Momen, and UJAMAA Construction.
“There’s some wow factors that we even get captivated looking at and paying homage to,” said Brown & Momen Founder Ernest Brown, according to ABC7 Chicago.
By working together, the alliance completed the center over nine years. More than 4,5000 men and women worked in unity to bring the center to its finish line.
Executive Vice President at Powers & Sons Construction, Kelly Powers Baria, said:
“It forces everyone to achieve, to reach for the highest standard. It’s bringing community and bringing people together, people from many different backgrounds.
“We brought kids onto this construction site,” she continued. “We had them help build the picnic tables that were used in the lunch break room for the construction workers.”
The Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on Juneteenth. Campus grounds are open Monday through Sunday from 6 a.m.-9 p.m., while the museum opens from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday, according to its website.
