Barack Obama Presidential Center facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Barack Obama Presidential Center
Logo of the Obama Foundation, the non-profit organization that is overseeing the construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center
Viewed from Solstice on the Park, September 2023
General information
Location	Jackson Park, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°46′57″N 87°35′08″W / 41.78250°N 87.58556°W / 41.78250; -87.58556
Named for	Barack Obama
Construction started	August 16, 2021
Inaugurated	Spring 2026 (planned)
Cost	$482 million
Management	Valerie Jarrett, CEO
Design and construction
Architect	Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, and Interactive Design Architects: Landscape architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Site Design Group, and Living Habitats

The Barack Obama Presidential Center is a special project being built in Chicago, Illinois. It will be a museum, a library, and an education center. Its main goal is to celebrate the time Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States.

This center will also have places for community events and meetings. It will be home to the Obama Foundation, which is a non-profit group. The center is being built on a large area of land, about 19.3 acres. It is expected to open in the first half of 2026.

A big part of the center's work is making the Barack Obama Presidential Library digital. This means all of Obama's presidential papers and items will be available online. This will be the first fully digital presidential library. The original paper documents will be kept safe at a separate government facility. However, many will be brought to the Presidential Center for people to see.

The center is located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago. It is very close to the University of Chicago. The university helps with planning, support, and programs for the center. A new branch of the Chicago Public Library will also be part of the center. Construction started in August 2021.

Choosing the Location
Designing the Center
Community Involvement
Public Land and Lawsuits
Construction and Funding
Obama's Presidential Documents
Federal Review
See also

Choosing the Location

In 2014, the Obama Foundation asked different groups if they wanted to host the center. Four places offered to be the home of the center:

Columbia University in New York City
University of Chicago in Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago in Chicago
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu

In May 2015, the foundation decided to build the center with the University of Chicago. Barack Obama used to teach about law at the University of Chicago from 1992 to 2004.

After choosing the University of Chicago, they had to pick between two parks: Washington Park and Jackson Park. They finally chose Jackson Park. Both Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, said that Chicago's South Side was very important in their lives. Michelle Obama said she was a "proud Chicagoan, a daughter of the South Side."

Designing the Center

Many different groups helped choose the architects for the center. In June 2016, the foundation picked two main architecture firms: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects from New York and Interactive Design Architects from Chicago. They worked together on the design.

The landscape architects, who design the outdoor spaces, are Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Site Design Group, and Living Habitats. A group called Lakeside Alliance is building the center. This group includes Turner Construction and several local African-American owned companies.

Jackson Park was chosen for the center. This park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. It already has the Museum of Science and Industry and a golf course.

The first plans were shown in May 2017. They included three buildings with simple shapes, made of light-colored stone. The museum building will be the tallest, about 180 feet high. It will also have educational and meeting spaces. The other buildings, a library and a forum, will be one story tall. The forum building will have an auditorium, a restaurant, and a public garden. In 2018, it was announced that a Chicago Public Library branch would be part of the complex.

In 2024, a fourth building called Home Court started construction. It was designed by Moody Nolan Chicago and Renauld Deandre Mitchell. This building will have a basketball court, other sports facilities, and community meeting rooms.

Community Involvement

Some groups in the community wanted a "Community Benefits Agreement." This agreement would make sure that local people get jobs from the center's construction and operation. It would also help protect affordable housing and support local businesses. Some people worried that new development might make rents and property taxes go up, which could make it hard for low-income residents to stay in their homes.

The Obama Foundation has said it plans to hire people from the community. Studies suggest that many construction jobs and long-term jobs will go to residents of the South Side. These jobs are expected to bring in a lot of money for local families.

In July 2019, local leaders proposed a plan to protect affordable housing near the center. This plan would require new homes to be affordable for people with lower incomes. In July 2020, a compromise was reached. This agreement will help reserve affordable homes on city-owned land and provide money for home improvements for current residents.

Public Land and Lawsuits

Some groups, like Friends of the Parks, were against using parkland for the center. They even threatened to sue to stop the project. In May 2018, another group called "Protect Our Parks" filed a lawsuit. They wanted to stop public parkland from being given to a private group.

However, the plan to build the center was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission. In September 2018, it was announced that the city of Chicago will own the center once it's finished. The Obama Foundation will be responsible for paying to run and maintain it.

The Chicago City Council approved the plans for the center in October 2018. This included a 99-year lease for the land to the Obama Foundation for a very low cost. The agreement also said that the center would have free admission days, like other museums in the city parks.

The lawsuit to stop construction continued for some time. In June 2019, a judge ruled in favor of the City, allowing the construction to go forward. The case was even appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in August 2021, but they also allowed the construction to proceed.

Construction and Funding

November 2022

Construction was first expected to start in late 2018. However, a government review of the project delayed it. This review looked at how the project might affect Jackson Park's historical status.

The architects said in 2017 that building the museum and library would cost around $300 million. The center would also need a lot of money, about $1.5 billion, to keep it running long-term. The Obama Foundation has been raising money for the center. In 2017, they raised over $232 million.

Construction officially began in August 2021. On September 28, 2021, Barack and Michelle Obama, along with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, attended a special ceremony to mark the start of construction.

In November 2022, construction was briefly stopped for a few days. This happened after a noose, a symbol of hate, was found at the construction site.

Obama's Presidential Documents

The papers and items from Barack Obama's time as president are being stored and organized in a secure building in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. These records are being made digital. By law, people can ask to see these records starting in 2022.

Federal Review

The U.S. government started a review of this project in 2017. This was because Jackson Park is a historic place, and the project would change roads around the park. The review took four years and finished in 2021. Some changes were made to the design to address concerns raised during the review.

The City of Chicago agreed to lease the land to the Obama Presidential Center for 99 years. Once the center is built, the City of Chicago will own it.

Many people who support the project see it as a great investment for the South Side of Chicago. They believe the new public library and the center itself will bring jobs and attract tourists. They also think it will be a valuable place for the people living in the neighborhood.