Former President Barack Obama’s (D) presidential center in Chicago, Illinois, is reportedly projected to cost much, much more than originally planned.
The foundation overseeing construction of the project that opened several years behind schedule told Fox News the price tag has been hiked to $1 billion, the outlet reported Thursday.
The report said the news came “as newly released financial records reviewed by Fox News Digital offer a fresh look at the finances of the Obama Foundation, the former president’s private nonprofit that oversaw construction of the billion-dollar project.”
The center’s construction has reportedly cost taxpayers more and more money. In March it put out a call for unpaid volunteers, yet was paying CEO Valerie Jarrett a $740,000 salary, according to Breitbart News.
It is also important to note that admission to the center in the Democrat-controlled city cost $30 for adults, Breitbart News’s John Nolte highlighted in April:
Oh, but if you live in Illinois, you can visit for free on Tuesdays or enjoy a $4 discount the rest of the week. BUT, you must show ID as proof of residency. So, when it comes to Obama profiting, ID is not racist.
“At $30, adult admission to see the 44th president’s story is more than at any other U.S. presidential library,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “That is 59% higher than the average for presidents from John F. Kennedy through George W. Bush.”
The center’s website says, “Museum ticket demand is high and tickets may be unavailable.”
Construction costs for the center were initially estimated to be near $350 million, but federal reviews, legal issues, and construction delays pushed its opening, initially set for 2021, to 2026 — and the costs kept climbing.
The Fox article continued:
“While we continue to reconcile costs and plan ahead for additional capital improvements, we anticipate our total cost for constructing the campus is approximately $1 billion — again, all raised in private contributions,” Emily Bittner, the Obama Foundation’s vice president of communications, told Fox News Digital. “This includes investments in additional public art, insurance, scope changes in our Home Court, project management and exhibit installation, among other categories.”
Meanwhile, workers at the center were fed up with how they have allegedly been treated by leadership and have been organizing a union.