Obama promises to transform the South Side through the Obama Presidential Center.
In this article, I will help you understand the Obama Presidential Center and its impact on Chicago.
Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, and the non-profit organization named after him will memorialize him with the construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
According to The Obama Foundation, it will be a space to reflect, grow, interact, and create. It was created by architects Todd Williams and Billie Tsien.
And this is a top-notch museum and public meeting place to foster growth and empowerment on the South Side.
The OPC is designed to celebrate the history, motivate children, and honor our country's first African American President and First Lady.
So let’s get down to business. Here are the different parts of the Obama Presidential Center.
Parts of the Obama Presidential Center:
The Museum
The Museum's architectural design reflects this notion of ascension—of a rise from the bottom up.
Its shape is an acknowledgment that many hands influence a place and is inspired by the concept of four hands coming together.
The structure will welcome visitors to the South Side and the Center as a historic landmark in Jackson Park.
The Sky Room, which offers visitors an opportunity to reflect, is located at the top of the museum.
From here, visitors may enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Michigan to the east, the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago to the north, and the South Side of Chicago to the west and south.
Exhibits inside will examine the entirety of the American story.
The Museum's displays will describe how the movement toward history was propelled by volunteers and will look at the eight years of success, failure, and hope that followed.
The Winter Garden
The Obama Presidential Center's Winter Garden will be a cheery, welcoming area filled with light and warmth for everyone to enjoy.
It will be a place where people can come together, make connections, and discover the limitless potential that resides inside each of us.
Hadiya Pendleton, a majorette who performed with the King College Prep band at President Obama's second inauguration in 2013, was murdered and killed eight days later.
All visitors to the Obama Presidential Center will pass through a "winter garden" named in her honor.
THE FORUM AND PLAZA
The Forum will contain a range of collaborative and artistic spaces, including an auditorium, a broadcast and recording studio, adjustable learning and meeting spaces, and a café.
It is largely integrated into Jackson Park's landscape.
It will also have many places where guests may relax, eat, do their homework, or play chess.
At the center of the Center, just outside the Forum and Museum buildings, there will be a public plaza that the Foundation and our neighbors can use to conduct both unplanned and scheduled gatherings.
Along with outdoor entertainment, markets, and fairs, it will have public art.
The Library
This new branch of the Chicago Public Library will offer reading rooms, interactive digital media areas, and other facilities for kids.
With informational, gardening, and employment opportunities for adults, this is a great public library for Southsiders.
Park and Community Center
The Program, Athletic, and Activity Center will be the campus' fourth primary building. The building will serve as a venue for events, community programs, and recreational activities.
Women’s Garden
The Obama Foundation will renovate the historic Women's Garden in Jackson Park with new plants, walkways, and seats.
The surrounding roads will be turned back into parkland, making it easier to reach.
There will also be large stone blocks for people to sit, for lessons, intimate meetings, or just as a place to pause and take in the park.
Children’s Play Area
The OPC also includes a children’s play area with contemporary toys and interactive elements with a lagoon and woodland motif.
There will be space for chairs and shade for adults.
The Great Lawn
The Great Lawn is a well-liked gathering spot for picnics in the summer, outdoor movies, and sledding in the winter.
Its modest slope offers a variety of opportunities for activities throughout the year, and it will be the ideal place to see Jackson Park's beautiful lagoons.
However, the OPC doesn’t escape criticism from the community.
Concerns about the development
Residents, park lovers, and local businesses in nearby neighborhoods are concerned about the Obama Presidential Center.
Obama Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) Coalition
With nearby neighborhoods such as Woodlawn and Washington pressured by gentrification, residents formed the Obama Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) Coalition.
They fight against displacement and for the continued affordability of their neighborhoods, especially for low-income owners.
Lawsuits by Protect Our Parks group
A Chicago park advocacy group filed several federal lawsuits in an effort to halt the Obama Presidential Center's construction.
Protect Our Parks has filed a lawsuit asking the court to review and block the ongoing construction of the Obama Presidential Center that might have an impact on the park's historical and environmental resources.
And on July 1, 2022, the federal appeals court denied Protect Our Parks’ request.
Protect Our Parks v. Buttigieg is the group’s second lawsuit seeking that end, after the failure of Protect Our Parks v. Chicago Park District.
The lawsuit against federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other plaintiffs was previously unsuccessful at the district court level.
Local Business Complaints
In their ongoing battle to stop construction and force a relocation of the project, local activists made another stride ahead.
Businesswoman Brenda Sheriff, one of two Black plaintiffs in the Protect Our Parks lawsuit and a member of the NAACP South Side Chicago Chapter, protested against the OPC being near Jackson Park, where she believes it will clog up traffic, and worsen congestion in Chicago.
Impacts on the Community
Amid these oppositions, the Obama Presidential Center promises a lot of impacts for the South Side communities - in terms of the economy and historical legacy.
Economic Opportunities
The OPC's construction and ongoing activities are expected to have a boost in tax revenue, as well as the possibility of new jobs being created.
The OPC will support 2,536 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in Cook County once the Center opens, in addition to 4,945 direct, indirect, and induced jobs created during the construction period.
In addition, the annual amount of visitors here will likely range between 625,000 and 760,000.
Historical Legacy Preservation
A once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a world-class museum and community gathering spot on Chicago's South Side that honors the nation's first African American President and First Lady is provided by the Obama Presidential Center.
It will act as a place for introspection, growth, interaction, and artistic expression.
Updates in 2022
Construction of the Obama Presidential Center is still underway.
Mass excavation and earth retention has been completed on May 17, 2022.
The simpler underground, two-level parking garage is also progressing swiftly.
Over 33% of the garage's perimeter walls have already been poured.
On June 24, Barack Obama stopped by the Park building site to see the latest developments. He went there, took a tour, and met some of the talented tradesmen who are putting the Center together.
Updates in 2023
The Obama Foundation announced the Democracy in Action Lab (DIAL), the Programs Wing of the Obama Presidential Center, supported by a significant grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. DIAL, situated in the Forum Building's Lower Level, serves as a vibrant hub for community engagement and leadership development, offering a versatile space for workshops, gatherings, conversations, and events. The Lab, designed with cutting-edge technology and flexible setups, aims to foster creativity and collaboration, providing a welcoming venue for democratic dialogue and empowerment on Chicago's South Side and beyond.
The Obama Center is halfway from completion.
It is slated to finish by October 2025.
Conclusion
The Obama Presidential Center offers many promises to transform the South Side of Chicago. But still, residents and local businesses are wary of its impacts, fighting its development as much as possible.
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