Overview
- Construction began in 2021 and is reported to be on track to finish next spring, with the price tag now cited at about $850 million after earlier lower estimates.
- The center occupies roughly 20 acres of landmarked Jackson Park, and critics quoted in the report fault the nearly 240-foot, largely windowless museum tower as an outsized monument.
- A lawsuit described in the report says the Obama Foundation secured a 99-year land use agreement for $10, according to University of Chicago law professor Richard Epstein.
- The article highlights financial concerns, noting a required $400 million endowment is reported to have just $1 million so far, and it flags the project’s earlier $500 million estimate.
- Coverage details park and neighborhood impacts, including the removal of the Women’s Garden for construction staging, road rerouting around the site, and an allegation of extensive tree loss.