March 6, 2025
Obama Presidential Library Unfazed By DOGE’s Lease Cancellation
The lease was set to expire this year and the library is moving to Maryland.
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has canceled the lease for the Barack Obama Presidential Library.
The decision is not expected to significantly impact the center, as the lease was set to expire in 2025. As is customary for a former president, the building housed memorabilia of historic and cultural significance collected during the Obama administration.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the current site, owned by Hoffman Estates Medical LLC, was a 73,000-square-foot former furniture store. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) paid $1.4 million annually to rent the space.
NARA is responsible for archiving and cataloging thousands of historical artifacts, a duty granted under the 1978 Presidential Records Act. The organization currently owns 35,000 physical artifacts, drafts of Obama’s first inaugural speech, dresses worn by former first lady Michelle Obama, and 25 million unclassified documents, which are being digitized.
“The records and artifacts of the Barack Obama Presidential Library, which have been temporarily at Hoffman Estates, will be permanently moved to College Park, Maryland, in late [fiscal year] 2025,” a National Archives spokesperson told WGN.
Many artifacts will move to the Maryland location, but spectators can still engage with memories from the Obama administration at the new location. Citizens will also have access to the Obama administration’s history when the official Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago. Many of the artifacts will be loaned to the Center periodically.
However, since breaking ground in 2021, construction of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side has faced several challenges. The project’s initial $500 million estimate has soared to $830 million, and crews have yet to complete construction.
On Jan. 21, a construction worker fell into the site’s ventilation system, prompting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to launch an investigation.
On Jan. 17, Black concrete contractor Robert McGee sued the project’s structural engineering firm for $41 million, claiming he was discriminated against due to his race. He also asserts that unexpected delays and increased costs, though no fault of his own, damaged his reputation and left him in financial distress.
Since the center is privately owned, the government cannot interfere with its operation. The Obama Presidential Center is scheduled to open in 2026.
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