Musk's DOGE terminates lease at Obama Presidential Library site

The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated the lease at the Obama Presidential Library site, although it is unlikely to impact operations there since it is due to shutter later this year and move to a new location.

The site at the Hoffman Estates is run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as are all presidential libraries, while the Obama Presidential Center is a private venture being overseen by the Obama Foundation. 

The DOGE website did not provide a timetable for the closures, although a NARA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the Hoffman Estates library was scheduled to close in late Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and move to College Park in Maryland. The government's FY 2025 runs through Sept. 30, 2025.

There are about 25 million unclassified paper documents at the Hoffman Estate building, according to NARA's estimate, and they are currently being digitized and will be available in digital format at the Obama Presidential Center when it opens. Under the 1978 Presidential Records Act, NARA gets custody of all presidential records and artifacts when a president leaves office.

NARA began leasing the building in 2016, paying $1.4 million each year in rent, according to the Chicago Tribune, citing the General Services Administration, which runs the government's real estate portfolio.

The building is owned by Hoffman Estates Medical Development LLC, who bought it in 2011 and transformed it into a fortified, climate-controlled facility.

The Obama Presidential Library is expected to open some time next year and has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. It was initially expected to cost $350 million but that figure ballooned to $830 million in 2021. It is unclear what the total costs will be.