Barack Obama Presidential Center

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
Map
General information
LocationJackson Park, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°46′57″N 87°35′08″W / 41.78250°N 87.58556°W / 41.78250; -87.58556
Named forBarack Obama
Construction startedAugust 16, 2021[1]
InauguratedSpring 2026 (planned)
Cost$482 million[1]
ManagementValerie Jarrett, CEO
Kenvi Phillips, Director
Design and construction
Architect(s)Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, and Interactive Design Architects:
Landscape architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Site Design Group, and Living Habitats
Other information
Public transit accessBus interchangeCTA
Mainline rail interchange ME South Shore Line
Website
www.obama.org/presidential-center/

The Barack Obama Presidential Center is a planned museum, library, and education project in Chicago to commemorate the presidency of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States.[2][3] The center will also include community and conference facilities and will house the nonprofit Obama Foundation. Construction on the 19.3 acre campus began in 2021, the tower topped out in mid-2024, and the center is expected to open in the first half of 2026.[4][5][6]

The center's work includes digitizing the Barack Obama Presidential Library with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), to create the first fully digitized presidential library.[2] The Library is administered by NARA, which will preserve hardcopies of documents at a separate NARA facility; however, many will be loaned to the Presidential Center for display.[2]

The center is located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, adjacent to the University of Chicago campus.[7] The university provides planning, support, engagement and programming.[8] Included within the center's plans is a new branch for the Chicago Public Library.[9]

Federal review ended in December 2020, with final completion in 2021.[10][11] Construction began in August 2021.[1][12]

  1. ^ a b c Sweet, Lynn (August 16, 2021). "Obama Presidential Center costs detailed as groundbreaking takes place at Jackson Park". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c drupal (October 20, 2016). "About Us". Barack Obama Presidential Library. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Obama Presidential Center". Barack Obama Foundation.org. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sfondles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Obama Center gets skin in the game with fancy new granite cladding on its tower". Chicago Sun-Times. April 17, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Quig, A.D. (March 8, 2024). "Obama Presidential Center opening pushed from late 2025 to 2026". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Obama Foundation Announces Jackson Park as Site of the Obama Presidential Center" (Press release). Obama.org. July 29, 2016. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  8. ^ "FAQ on Obama Presidential Library". UChicago News. January 31, 2014. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  9. ^ Bowean, Lolly (May 2, 2018). "Obama Foundation announces new public library branch". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  10. ^ Yin, Alice (December 18, 2020). "Long-running federal review into Obama center concludes, groundbreaking tentatively set for 2021". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  11. ^ Cherone, Heather (February 4, 2021). "Feds Give Obama Presidential Center Green Light After 4-Year Review". WTTW News. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Cherone, Heather (March 7, 2024). "Opening of Obama Presidential Center Delayed, Again, Until Spring 2026". WTTW. Retrieved March 9, 2024.