NBC Chicago on Tuesday was given an up close and personal look at the grounds of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park neighborhood.
The center, comprised of a museum, library and gathering spaces, has been in the works for nearly a decade and is expected to be finished next spring. Dozens of neighbors circled the block to get a glimpse of the center, in what was the first official public tour of the site.
“It gives me great pride, joy. A piece of… this is something that I’m actually being a part of in the community, so I’m ecstatic about it,” one resident said.
With over a decade of planning and construction, the center is nearing the finish line. The Obama Foundation told NBC Chicago as they get close to adding the finishing touches, they’re looking far beyond the site being a tourist attraction.
“This should be a economic catalyst for the South Side of Chicago and so that’s my hope,” another person said. “My hope is that people on the South Side and not just the South Side, but anywhere around the world, can come to the campus, experience what we have to offer.”
For those who call Jackson Park home, it’s a reminder of what is possible and a path for the next generation to blaze.
“My son was two-and-a-half when I moved here. He’s now 19, and there was one swing, one track, a slide board on a bathroom, and that was it, so to see something this beautiful as this, it touches my heart,” one person said.
One by one, groups got their steps in by checking out the exterior of the center.
Many said they felt pride and optimism.
“I’m very proud of the center, because I am proud of him, I am proud of my people, I’m proud of what we’ve done in this country and how we’ve built this country, and this is a manifestation of the building of America.”
As excitement builds, NBC Chicago had to ask what former President Barack Obama is most excited about. Obama is a big fan of the NBA, and we were told basketball courts were near the top of the list.
Last year, the former president attended a “topping out” ceremony to celebrate the tallest building reaching its complete height. After five years of legal battles, gentrification concerns and a federal review, construction at the site began in August 2021.
The center will feature an athletic, programs and events facility, an auditorium, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a fruit and vegetable garden and more.
The four-story museum building will house exhibit galleries that “tell the story of President and Mrs. Obama, the stories of the extraordinary and ordinary people whose work made their story possible, their historic presidency, and inspire visitors to learn about the role they can play in bringing change home.”