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Obama: Long‑Delayed Presidential Center to Finally Open in June on Chicago’s South Side

05:32 AM, 12/04/2025
Obama: Long‑Delayed Presidential Center to Finally Open in June on Chicago’s South Side

Key points: Barack Obama said the long‑delayed Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, Chicago, will open in June though no exact date was given. The 20‑acre, $850 million campus includes a library, museum, public library branch and other community amenities. The project was delayed by lawsuits, federal reviews and local protests; supporters call it an economic and civic hub.

Former President Barack Obama announced that the long‑contested Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side is slated to open in June, though he did not provide a specific day. He made the remark during a visit to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas, joking, “We’re going to open in June so that y’all don’t have to bring your coats up.”

Project background and features

The 20‑acre, $850 million campus in Jackson Park will include a presidential library, a museum, an auditorium, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a garden, athletic facilities and other public amenities. The Obama Foundation describes the center as a community hub and an economic and civic anchor for the South Side.

Delays, legal reviews and community response

The site was announced in May 2015 and was initially expected to open in 2021. Progress was delayed by years of legal challenges, federal historic and environmental reviews tied to road changes and the park’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A 2018 lawsuit from a group opposing the transfer of parkland persisted until 2022, when a revised version of the suit was dismissed. Other legal disputes and financial questions have also been part of the project’s history.

Local reaction has been mixed. Some residents and activists have protested, arguing the center could accelerate gentrification and raise housing costs, while critics have mocked the building’s stark design. Supporters, including foundation officials, emphasize the center’s potential to bring jobs, programs and civic activity to the neighborhood.

Current status and next steps

Groundbreaking took place in 2021, and construction activity intensified over the past year. Foundation representatives have not released a firm opening date beyond the month of June, and requests for further comment were not immediately answered. The announcement marks a major milestone after more than a decade of planning, review and debate.

“We’re going to open in June so that y’all don’t have to bring your coats up.” — Barack Obama

If finalized, the center will join a handful of recent presidential libraries and public civic projects that blend archival space with community programming; local leaders and residents will likely continue to debate how the center’s benefits and impacts are distributed.

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