Subcontractor Shuts Down After Obama Presidential Center Losses
The financial problems surrounding the Obama Presidential Center continue to grow as another contractor says the high-profile project has forced his company to shut down operations and lay off dozens of employees.
The latest dispute adds to a series of payment and construction-related complaints from subcontractors who worked on the development, several of whom say they suffered significant financial losses.
Mike Owen, owner of Chicago-based Adamson Plumbing Contractors, said his company has suspended operations after losing millions of dollars while working on the Obama Presidential Center.
According to Owen, the financial strain forced him to lay off 25 union workers, abandon multiple construction projects and begin operating the business from his home while pursuing legal action.
“Laying off close to 30 people is something that no owner in our industry wants to do,” Owen told Fox News.
“It’s a hard thing to do, especially when you know you can finish them and the company can still make money. But we were put in a pretty bad corner.”
Adamson performed plumbing work on the project under the name Marsh-Adamson.
The company has now filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the Obama Presidential Center, alleging it has not been fully paid for completed work.
A mechanic’s lien is a legal claim contractors can file against a property when they believe they have not received payment for work they performed.
Owen said the lien represents only the portion of his losses that he believes is supported by the strongest documentation, including unpaid invoices, approved change orders and labor costs.
He estimates his company’s total losses from the project are approximately $3.9 million.
“It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to pursue the $3.9 million in change that we lost overall,” Owen said.
“I’m still working with my legal team on that $3.9 million figure because I feel that it’s only right that we still hold ownership at the presidential center accountable.”
According to Owen, months of negotiations with Lakeside Alliance, the construction manager for the project, failed to resolve the dispute.
He said the situation reached a breaking point shortly before the Obama Presidential Center officially opened on June 19.
Owen said his company agreed to provide two journeyman plumbers for last-minute overnight work after Lakeside Alliance agreed to release part of the money it allegedly owed Adamson.
An email reviewed by Fox News Digital reportedly indicated that a $100,000 payment would be released through the company’s May payment application.
Owen said his workers completed the requested work, but the payment did not arrive before the center’s opening ceremony.
“We negotiated it in good faith,” Owen said.
“Against my better judgment, I agreed to do the work.”
He said the delayed payment deprived the company of the cash it needed to continue operating.
“Not getting that large sum of money just kind of pulled the brakes on the train. It was just the final death blow to the company,” Owen said.
Rather than continue operating while facing mounting debts, Owen said he decided to suspend business operations on June 25.
The promised payment, along with approximately $35,000 for approved change orders, eventually arrived more than two weeks later.
Owen said the money allowed him to pay one supplier but did little to improve the company’s overall financial condition.
“It’s almost like too little, too late,” he said.
Lakeside Alliance, a joint venture led by Turner Construction along with UJAMAA Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, Brown & Momen and Safeway Construction, served as construction manager for the Obama Presidential Center.
In a statement, the alliance said contractual closeout work often continues well after large construction projects officially open.
“Lakeside Alliance remains committed to working through all outstanding matters to successfully close out the project,” a spokesperson said, Fox News reported.
The company did not directly respond to Owen’s specific allegations regarding the layoffs or the mechanic’s lien.
Chaos at NBC: Production Staff Stage Mass Walkout Over Star Host's 'Toxic Bullying'!
NEW YORK — The famously affable persona that defined Jimmy Fallon’s late-night dominance just took a devastating hit following an explosive exposé by Rolling Stone. An array of internal communications, paper trails, and testimonies from 16 current and former staff members have peeled back the curtain on a toxic, high-pressure environment inside Studio 6B at The Tonight Show.
Behind the Megawatt Grin: The "Crying Room" of Studio 6B
To tens of millions of viewers tuning in each night, Fallon appeared to be the ultimate showman: buoyant, approachable, and quick to turn celebrity interviews into lighthearted games. But according to internal accounts, daily life for the show's production crew felt more like walking through a minefield.
Witnesses described a workplace culture held hostage by the host's unpredictable mood swings:
"Good Jimmy Days" vs. "Bad Jimmy Days": Staffers reportedly spent mornings reading the room to anticipate the host's temper. On bad days, minor production errors could trigger verbal lashings and public dressing-downs in front of colleagues.
Guest Dressing Rooms Turned "Crying Rooms": The psychological strain was so severe that empty guest dressing rooms reportedly became sanctuaries where staff retreated to cry and regain composure before heading back onto the studio floor.
Severe Mental Toll: Multiple staffers described seeking therapy, taking prescribed anti-anxiety medications, or leaving the industry altogether after months of enduring chronic emotional exhaustion.
HR Complaints and Systemic Instability
The investigative report outlined issues extending far beyond occasional bad days, pointing instead to systemic administrative neglect over nearly a decade.
Internal emails and formal complaints submitted to NBC’s Human Resources documented erratic behavior, explosive outbursts, and concerns regarding the host's workplace conduct. Yet, with Fallon serving as a ratings engine and core asset for the network, complaints were repeatedly brushed aside or quietly managed, leaving junior personnel with little choice but to transfer or resign.
The revolving door in the executive offices mirrored that chaos: The Tonight Show burned through nine showrunners in just nine years—an unprecedented turnover rate that underscored chronic instability at the top.
A Midnight Apology to the Crew
Hours after the report went live and triggered a wave of public backlash across social media, Fallon and showrunner Chris Miller convened an emergency, mandatory Zoom meeting with the production team.
During the call, Fallon offered a contrite, somber apology to his staff:
"It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive to everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people."
While the internal apology acknowledged the distress within the ranks, the revelation has permanently altered public perception. The revelation leaves NBC’s flagship late-night franchise grappling with a stark reality: the cost of prime-time laughter was borne by a backstage crew driven to the brink.
