The Obama Presidential Center is about one year away from opening its doors, but right now, it is an eyesore, not to mention a threat to local residents.
While I am sure the final product will be an attractive building, it currently looks like an abandoned building you would see in a futuristic horror movie.
Residents are not worried about how it looks, however, as they fear losing their homes as investors come in to take over properties.
Both Barack and Michelle Obama have strong roots in the area, which is why Obama chose this particular section of Chicago to put his presidential library.
Obama explained, “We are here today on the South Side of Chicago in Jackson Park to officially break ground on the Obama Presidential Center. As Michelle has noted, we chose this location for a few pretty good reasons. It’s close to where Michelle grew up, where I started my political career; it’s surrounded by vibrant neighborhoods and a community where we can help make a difference.
“Jackson Park also happens to hold a special place in my heart because it was literally my entryway into Chicago.”
The center broke ground in 2021 after COVID, and the current plan is for it to open next year.
After the location of the library was announced, investors and developers started to swoop in to buy up properties, knowing this would become a tourist attraction.
Now, residents who have lived in this area for decades are worried about being pushed out by rising property prices and higher-priced venues.
Vanessa Clay, who has lived in this area for more than two decades, was among them, stating, “It seems like developers are coming in here and taking over.”
Dixon Romeo, executive director of Not Me We, a South Shore community organization organizing neighborhood tenants, stated, “The city has a deep, long record of building itself up on the backs of poor Black and Latino folks, destroying their communities -- either through ineptitude, lack of investment or intentional displacement.”
As the center has started to take shape, local residents are not exactly thrilled with how things look.
Steve Cortes, a longtime Chicagoan and former advisor to President Donald Trump, slammed Obama over the center, stating, "This is a monument to one man's ego."
He continued, "Look at the Reagan Library. It's beautiful. This? There are almost no windows. What are they hiding? And this Brutalist cement look in a city known for its incredible architecture."
Local Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor also pushed back, complaining about how developments such as this just push out the people who built the community. She stated, “We’re going to see rents go higher and we’re going to see families displaced."
This is a horrible look for Obama, and the fact he did not get community input on the project just goes to show how little Democrats care about the people they are supposed to represent. I am sure the library will be a tourist boon for the area, but it comes at the cost of a neighborhood thousands call home.
