By Tia Carol Jones
Nosa Ehimwenman was inspired to do something more as he watched the Presidential Campaign of then-Senator Barack Obama. He was working at a construction management firm, and there the fire was lit during the campaign that pushed him to take a leap of faith and incorporate BOWA Construction in 2009. Now, he comes full circle with BOWA Construction being the firm that is doing the construction for Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center.
Ehimwenman founded the organization, which is headquartered at 71st and Stony Island, in 2009. BOWA, along with a partner organization, initially went out for the entire Obama Presidential Center project but wasn’t successful its first time out. Another opportunity came up for the organization to submit an RFP for Home Court.
“We knew President Obama and his commitment to, not only his roots, where he started in Chicago but his passion for the city and his passion for this country. We found ourselves in a place where we knew we had an opportunity to put together a team and lead it, as an African American firm,” he said.
BOWA put together a team that consists of themselves and AECOM, a Chicago-based engineering firm. The team was successful in securing the project to construct Home Court, which will be a 45,000-square-foot multipurpose athletic and events space. The basketball court will be NBA regulation size, with practice courts, training space, and flexible seating.
BOWA has constructed the University of Chicago Medical Center, the Starbucks at O’Hare Airport, the Gately Indoor Track & Field Facility, Perspectives Leadership Academy, as well as 900 West Randolph, a 43-story residential building in Fulton Market.
“Sometimes I look back and say, it’s not always about being the first, but we understand some of the barriers and the ceilings we’re breaking that allow us to create an opportunity, but also giving back to folks in the community, creating jobs and opportunities and being able to send the elevator back down and help folks in the community get access to these types of projects,” Ehimwenman said.
Ehimwenman said the firm has grown from three to four employees to more than 100 employees, working in New York City, Dallas and other cities across the country. It started small and people provided opportunities and opened doors.
Ehimwenman said building Home Court and being part of President Obama’s legacy is a continuation of BOWA’s legacy of building facilities in Chicago in a way that ensures everyone has a seat at the table and feels they are a part of history. BOWA is working on the project with Moody Nolan, the largest African-American design firm in the United States.
“Designing the Home Court for the Obama Foundation is not just about creating a building; it’s about shaping a legacy,” Curt Moody, Founder and Chairman of the Board for Moody Nolan, said in a release. “It’s about honoring the past, empowering the present, and inspiring future generations. This project represents an opportunity to contribute to the narrative of progress and unity that defines our nation’s history, and I am deeply humbled to be part of this transformative endeavor.”
In March, there was a groundbreaking for the Home Court project. Ehimwenman said that the project is scheduled to be substantially complete by September 2025. During the process, BOWA has worked closely with the Obama Foundation and Lori Healey and Michael Strautmanis.
Ehimwenman said that in his more than 25-year career, the Home Court project is really special and meeting President Barack Obama was the icing on the cake. Knowing that the project is part of President Obama’s legacy inspires him to want to excel, deliver things the right way and complete the project and get it done on time and on budget and make Mr. and Mrs. Obama proud.
For more information about the Obama Presidential Center, visit https://obama.org/presidential-center. For more information about BOWA Construction, visit www.bowaconstruction.com.
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