President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday that the Obama Presidential Center will officially break ground this year on the South Side of Chicago.
Obama said that the complex will include gardens, playgrounds, walking trails and bike paths adjacent to the museum.
“Through the museum, the center will be a place to honor history while inspiring young people to write chapters of their own, giving them the tools, resources and connections that they need to create change in their own communities” Obama said.
According to Obama’s office, there will be a “Sky Room” at the top of the museum, which will have a view of Downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. The museum will have artifacts from Obama’s campaign in 2008.
The center will also include a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
The center needed to go through a lengthy approval process by the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration before breaking ground.
I’m proud to announce that the Obama Presidential Center will officially break ground in 2021. Our hope is that the center will breathe new life into historic Jackson Park while delivering jobs, growth, and much more to the South Side.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 3, 2021
Let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/cOqoPmaLkf