Obama signs steel beam installed on top of presidential center

President Obama is sporting a new look — a construction hat and vest — as he signed a steel beam that will be installed in his eponymous presidential center.

The 44^th commander in chief was seen affixing his signature to the beam on Monday in Chicago at the site of the future Obama Presidential Center.

“The dedication that all of you have shown, the sacrifices that all of you have made to make this happen, is something I could not be more grateful for and appreciative of,” Obama said in a video provided by the Obama Foundation, as he and a team of construction workers and architects marked the tallest building on the more than 19-acre campus reaching its full height of 225 feet at a “topping out” ceremony.

The beam signed by Obama will be used in part of the ceiling of the Museum Building’s top floor, called the Sky Room.

The former president and Michelle Obama broke ground on the $800 million presidential center in 2021. In addition to a museum, the campus is poised to include an athletic and events facility, a fruit and vegetable garden, a Chicago Public Library branch, and auditorium and picnic areas. 

The grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center, which has faced numerous legal and construction-related delays, is expected in 2026.