Obama Presidential Center construction could begin by August

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    CHICAGO (WBBM ) — Following an exhaustive four-year federal review process, construction of the the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park is expected to begin this year, with the first preliminary work starting as early as April, and actual construction coming as early as August.

“Getting to this point wouldn’t have been possible without the folks in the community who have been a part of this process along the way,” former President Barack Obama said in a video message on Wednesday. “Michelle and I want to thank you for making this project even better—a space for the community, built in partnership with the community. We know that by working together, we can unlock the South Side’s fullest potential—and help set up our city, our country, and our world for even better years still to come.”

The Obama Foundation said it plans to break ground on the center this year. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said the city is planning to begin pre-construction work in April, including relocating utility lines on the 19.3 acre site in Jackson Park, south of the Museum of Science and Industry.

Preliminary roadwork and physical construction could follow as early as August.

The center will include a 235-foot stone tower housing the site’s museum; a Chicago Public Library branch; a multipurpose space on top of the museum, a program, activity, and athletic center for community programs and events; a Great Lawn for social gatherings, barbecues, a nature center; and new walking and biking trails; a children’s play area; and a fruit and vegetable garden and teaching kitchen.

The center will not include a formal presidential library operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Rather, Obama’s collection of presidential documents and artifacts will be stored in existing NARA facilities, and non-classified documents will be available online.

A federal review of the project was required because Obama decided to build the center in Jackson Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That review by the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration determined the center and planned roadway changes in Jackson Park “would not have a significant impact on the environment,” according to the mayor’s office.

Plans approved by the Chicago City Council include closing several roads in Jackson Park and replacing them with new green space, and widening or reconfiguring other streets in the neighborhood.

City officials said the traffic plan will create five acres of new parkland by converting several roads in Jackson Park into green space:

Cornell Drive between North Midway Plaisance and Hayes Drive;
South Midway Plaisance between Stony Island Avenue and Cornell Drive;
Marquette Drive between Stony Island Avenue and Richards Drive;
Northbound Cornell Drive from 68th Street to where Cornell Drive becomes two-way

Other nearby roadways will be redesigned to handle increased traffic and improve access in and around Jackson Park:

Adding a third southbound lane on Lake Shore Drive from 57th Street to Hayes Drive;
Improving capacity and safety on Hayes Drive between Lake Shore Drive and Cornell Drive;
Adding a lane in each direction on Stony Island from 59th Street to 65th Street, while maintaining on-street parking and loading lanes;
Adding planted medians, left turn lanes at key intersections, and pedestrian refuge islands to enhance safety on Stony Island;
Reconfiguring the intersection of Stony Island, Midway Plaisance and 59th and 60th Streets to improve capacity and pedestrian and traffic safety;
Building new pedestrian underpasses in Jackson Park under Hayes Drive west of Lake Shore Drive and two under the new Hayes Drive and Cornell Drive intersection;
Adding new pathways within Jackson Park to provide key connections for people biking or walking through the park;
Upgrading or installing seven traffic signals in the area, allowing synchronization of traffic and bus traffic signal priority technology.

The $174 million roadway work will be funded by the state.

“The Obama Presidential Center and nearby capital improvement projects will undoubtedly distinguish our city’s historic South Side as a world-class economic and cultural hub. Through opportunities both created and attracted by these initiatives, residents in the surrounding communities, will have long overdue access to much needed, sustainable and good-paying jobs and other neighborhood resources,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement.

Construction is expected to take four years to complete, and the Obama Foundation has estimated the center will cost approximately $500 million. Once it is built, the city would own the campus, but the center would pay to maintain it. The Obama Presidential Center will be privately funded, and the foundation will pay the city $10 to lease the land for 99 years.

The federal review of the center was not the only hurdle it faced. In 2018, the nonprofit Protect Our Parks sued to block construction, claiming the city did not have the authority to transfer public land to a private entity. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in 2019, and last year a federal appeals court upheld that ruling.

The project has raised concerns among residents in Woodlawn and neighboring communities about whether they will be forced out of their homes due to gentrification resulting from the project.

In September, the City Council approved an ordinance designed to protect affordable housing in Woodlawn after the center is built, including a requirement that developers build more affordable housing units in future residential construction projects in the area.

The measure requires 30% of the units in any residential development on 52 vacant lots owned by the city to be set aside for people earning between 30% and 50% of the area’s median income.

Those 52 parcels represent a quarter of the 208 vacant lots the city owns in Woodlawn.

For the remaining city-owned lots, whenever the city sells the land, developers building residential projects with 15 or more units would have to set aside at least 20% of the units for households with incomes of no more than 80% of the area’s median income; with at least 5% set aside for households with an income of no more than 50% of the area’s median income, and another 5% set aside for households with an income of no more than 30% of the area’s median income. For projects with 6 to 14 units, developers would have to set aside at least 10% of the units for households with incomes of no more than 80% of the area’s median income.

The ordinance also would provide $1.5 million to the Preservation of Existing Affordable Rentals program, which offers financial assistance to landlords for the purchase or refinancing of apartment buildings in exchange for a commitment to keep units affordable for 30 years. At least 10% of units would have to be affordable to tenants who earn no more than 30% of the area’s median income, and another 10% of units would have to be affordable to renters who earn no more than 50% of the area’s median income.

In addition, Woodlawn residents who have owned their home for five years or more, and earn no more than 120% of the area’s median income could apply for $20,000 grants to repair their homes. The ordinance would provide $1 million for that Woodlawn Long-term Homeowner Home Improvement Grant program.

The measure also would provide $500,000 for the Renew Woodlawn program to help low- and moderate-income residents purchase homes. Another $1.5 million would go to the Woodlawn Loan Fund, to help finance the purchase and renovation of vacant units to create more affordable housing.

Tenants in existing apartment buildings in Woodlawn also would be given the chance to buy their building before their landlord puts it up for sale. Owners of buildings with 10 or more units would have to notify tenants 30 days before putting their property up for sale, and allow tenants 90 days to make an offer to purchase the building.

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