The Home Court facility sits at the southern edge of the campus, offering a regulation-size basketball arena, training space, and versatile meeting rooms.
Its court displays phrases linked to former President Barack Obama, such as “Yes we can” and “No one does big things alone.”
Construction of the broader presidential center is overseen by the Obama Foundation, which appointed Lakeside Alliance as the primary construction manager for most campus work.
Home Court, however, was built under a separate contract managed by Elevate Design Builders, a joint venture led by minority‑owned BOWA Construction.
Mechanics liens have been recorded against the presidential center property, though the filings do not clarify which party bears legal responsibility for the disputed payments.
The newly recorded liens appeared around the time of the center’s June 19 opening, and a typical four‑to‑six‑week processing delay meant they only recently entered the public online database.
Neither Elevate nor the Obama Foundation responded to requests for comment, and the three subcontractors involved also remained silent.
Additional mechanics liens totalling roughly $557,000 were identified for other portions of the project, filed by subcontractors and suppliers further down the contracting chain.
O’Leary’s Contractors Equipment & Supply seeks about $184,000 for unpaid equipment rentals, the Cement Masons’ Union Trust Funds alleges more than $326,000 in unpaid fringe‑benefit contributions, and Intek Construction Products claims around $47,000 for labor and materials.
An Intek representative explained the company is pursuing its final invoice from another contractor and noted that payment timelines fell short of expectations.
These newer liens relate to work overseen by Lakeside Alliance, which emphasized that the center comprises multiple structures, hundreds of trade partners, and community businesses, and that contractual closeout continues after the opening.
Black‑owned subcontractors have reported owing millions for work on the project, while Concrete Collective filed a mechanics lien exceeding $40 million, later replaced by a court‑approved surety bond as the dispute proceeds in court.
Adamson Plumbing reported suspending operations and laying off workers after claiming a loss of nearly $4 million on the project.
At least four other companies filed mechanics liens during construction, and two subcontractors later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, though court records do not directly link those bankruptcies to the center.
Since the initial reporting, two of the previously identified liens have been withdrawn; one claimant recovered the amount sought, though the owner still incurred a loss of about $200,000. One lien remains unresolved.
