Federal Court Green Lights Obama Center Construction

U. S. District Judge John R. Blakey has dismissed the lawsuit seeking to block construction of the Obama Presidential Library complex in Jackson Park. In his 52 page opinion, Judge Blakey rejected the arguments of advocacy group Protect Our Parks that there would be no public benefit from the project. The center “surely provides a multitude of benefits to the public,” he wrote, including “a range of cultural, artistic, and recreational opportunities.”

Construction of the center, on 20 acres of Jackson Park, will be funded by private donations, and include a presidential library, public library branch, recording studio, classroom space, and displays of personal presidential artifacts. According to Obama Foundation CEO David Simas, locating the center near the neighborhood where President Obama began his political career will reinforce the project’s core aims: “A celebration of history, a place for connection and engagement of the public, and investment in community.”

Mayor Lightfoot praised Judge Blakey’s decision, saying she will work to insure the center “creates unprecedented cultural opportunities and economic growth.”