Chicago residents and community leaders are warning that the Obama Presidential Center has become a divisive, costly project that threatens to price families out of their own neighborhood.
It comes after the building was once touted as a revitalizing force for the South Side.
The sprawling 19.3-acre complex in Jackson Park, dominated by a 225-foot concrete tower, has drawn criticism for both its Brutalist design and its impact on the community.
Far from serving as a cultural beacon, longtime residents say the project has brought higher rents, rising property taxes, and the looming threat of gentrification.
“This is a monument to one man’s ego,” said Steve Cortes, a Chicago native and former Trump advisor, in comments to the Daily Mail.
“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.”
The Obama Foundation secured a 99-year lease on the public land for just $10 in 2018, promising jobs, investment, and stability.
But local alderwoman Jeanette Taylor says the opposite is happening.
“Every time large development comes to communities, they displace the very people they say they want to improve it for.