Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago after costs hit $850 million
Why it matters: The project more than doubled from its original $350 million estimate and has fueled local fears of displacement.
The Obama Presidential Center opened to the public in Chicago on Friday after years of delays, controversy and rising costs. The campus in Jackson Park on the city’s South Side was first projected to cost $350 million, but that figure climbed to about $850 million as the project faced setbacks during construction. The center is not a traditional presidential library. It includes a museum, public plaza, forum, a Chicago Public Library branch, recreation space, gardens and community programming. The Obama Foundation has cast the complex as an economic driver for South Side residents, with local hiring and contracting commitments. But some nearby residents have argued the development could raise rents and property taxes and push out longtime Black residents.