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<\/p>\nNBC 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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives me great pride, joy. A piece of… this is something that I\u2019m actually being a part of in the community, so I\u2019m ecstatic about it,” one resident said.<\/p>\n
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\u2019re looking far beyond the site being a tourist attraction.<\/p>\n
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“This should be a economic catalyst for the South Side of Chicago and so that\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n
For those who call Jackson Park home, it’s a reminder of what is possible and a path for the next generation to blaze. <\/p>\n
“My son was two-and-a-half when I moved here. He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
One by one, groups got their steps in by checking out the exterior of the center.<\/p>\n
Many said they felt pride and optimism.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud of the center, because I am proud of him, I am proud of my people, I\u2019m proud of what we\u2019ve done in this country and how we\u2019ve built this country, and this is a manifestation of the building of America.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n