Barack Obama's $850 million presidential center in Chicago, set to open in April, is facing criticism from residents and community leaders who claim it is driving gentrification, increasing rents, and forcing families out of the historically impoverished South Side neighbourhood.
Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, who represents much of the area around Jackson Park where the 19.3-acre facility is being built, told the Daily Mail she supports Obama but has fought aspects of the project to protect constituents. 'We're going to see rents go higher and we're going to see families displaced,' she said.
Taylor criticised the lack of a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) before construction began, which would have legally required provisions for affordable housing, local hiring, and environmental protections. 'The city of Chicago should have done a CBA before the first shovel went into the ground, but they didn't,' she added.
Local lawyer and father of six Ken Woodard, 39, described the centre as a 'monstrosity' that 'feels like a washing away of the neighbourhood and culture that used to be here.' He noted that the project is over budget and taking too long to finish.
Tyrone Muhammad, a South Side native and Illinois Senate candidate, called the project 'disingenuous' and 'hypocritical' for taking park space without involving the community. Kyana Butler, 30, a member of Southside Together, said the centre 'could have been smaller in scale and cost a lot less money.'
Plans for a 26-story, 250-room luxury hotel near the centre by an Obama associate have further fuelled concerns about rising property taxes and unaffordable housing, with $300,000 to $400,000 homes already appearing in the area.
