Comment The group building the Obama Presidential Center temporarily halted construction Thursday after a noose was found at the site in Chicago. The Lakeside Alliance, a consortium of at least five construction companies owned by Black, said in an email that it learned of the noose earlier that morning and reported it to police. The group suspended operations to provide more anti-bias training to employees and is offering a $100,000 reward aimed at finding “the person or persons responsible for this disgraceful act,” it said. “We have zero tolerance for any form of bias or hate on our construction site,” the group said in an email. He added: “We are horrified that this would happen to our site.” The Chicago Police Department is investigating the incident, said spokesman Sgt. Rocco Alioto said in an email. Representatives for former President Barack Obama could not immediately be reached late Thursday. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) condemned the incident, saying “hate has no place” in the state. Where voter turnout surpassed 2018 highs “The noose is more than a symbol of racism, it’s a compelling reminder of the violence and terror inflicted on black Americans for centuries,” he tweeted. The site on Chicago’s South Side will include a plaza, museum, library, playground and garden. The center will cost $830 million to build, the Associated Press reported. The complex first opened at the center in September 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2025. The project will be built in Jackson Park, a public space named after former slave president Andrew Jackson. The property will eventually be transferred to the city.
