Community leaders and longtime residents on Chicago’s South Side are voicing concerns that the Obama Presidential Center could displace families and alter the fabric of their neighborhoods.
Critics say luxury developments tied to the project — including a proposed 250-room hotel — are pushing up rents and property taxes, potentially pricing out working-class residents.
“This is a monument to one man’s ego,” Steve Cortes, a Chicagoan and former Trump advisor, told the Daily Mail. “Look at the Reagan Library. It’s beautiful. This? There are almost no windows. What are they hiding?”
Construction has moved slowly since breaking ground, with costs ballooning from an initial $330 million estimate to over $830 million as of 2021.
Local Officials Call for Protections
Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, who represents the surrounding area, has pushed for safeguards such as affordable housing requirements and tenant protections.
While she secured a 2020 agreement requiring 30% of new units on city-owned land to be affordable, her broader call for a binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) was rejected.
“The city of Chicago should have done a Community Benefits Agreement before the first shovel went into the ground,” Taylor said.
“We’re going to see small landlords having to raise the rent. Their property taxes are going up and we’re going to see development that is not inclusive to our community.”
Residents point to rent hikes — from $850 to $1,300 in some cases — as evidence of displacement pressures.
“When you’ve got people’s rent going from $850 to $1,300 you’re telling people you don’t want them in the neighborhood,” Dixon Romeo of the Obama CBA Coalition told NBC Chicago.
Criticism of Design and Impact
Beyond housing concerns, some locals have criticized the scale and design of the 225-foot concrete museum.
“It looks like this big piece of rock that just landed here out of nowhere in what used to be a really nice landscape,” said attorney Ken Woodward.
Others, like activist Kyana Butler of Southside Together, described the project as “huge and monstrous,” while community organizer Tyrone Muhammad likened it to “the Tower of Babel.”
Broader Debate Over DEI and Construction
The project also faced scrutiny earlier this year when a $40.75 million lawsuit highlighted diversity contracting requirements.
Critics, including President Trump, argued the project prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals over efficiency.
“He’s building his library in Chicago. It’s a disaster,” Trump said in May, claiming Obama prioritized “politically correct” hiring over merit.
The Obama Foundation’s Position
The Obama Foundation, which secured a 99-year lease for $10 in 2018, has said the center will boost jobs and economic development while honoring the former president’s legacy.
It has pledged to balance revitalization with protections for existing residents, though locals remain divided over whether the project will ultimately benefit or displace the community.
