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Obama Presidential Center

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Fresh batch of Obama Center museum tickets drops Wednesday
arts-and-culture18 days ago

Fresh batch of Obama Center museum tickets drops Wednesday

Tickets to visit the Obama Presidential Center’s museum in Woodlawn are sold out through the end of the year, but a new batch will be released at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month for select dates through Jan. 3; tickets cost $15–$30 and cover museum entry only (other center spaces are free). Expect a long virtual queue and have multiple date options ready; the center is at 6001 S. Stony Island Ave and upcoming events include Encanto screenings and talks.

via Block Club Chicago|
#arts-and-culture#chicago#museum
New Liens Push Nearly $900K Unpaid Bill at Obama Center's Home Court
business1 month ago

New Liens Push Nearly $900K Unpaid Bill at Obama Center's Home Court

Three more subcontractors filed mechanics liens totaling about $900,000 against the Obama Presidential Center’s Home Court facility for structural steel, excavation/concrete and gym flooring work, adding to a broader payment dispute that already included a nearly $4 million claim by Adamson Plumbing and highlighted ongoing cost overruns and contracting challenges around the center’s opening.

via Fox News|
#business#home-court#mechanics-lien
Flooding and shaking from Obama Center construction haunt Chicago resident
local2 months ago

Flooding and shaking from Obama Center construction haunt Chicago resident

Akoma Amanze, a cab driver living in Jackson Park Terrace across from the Barack Obama Presidential Center, says years of construction since 2021 caused his building to flood twice and shake from deep digging, leaving him to remove water and clean up with little help from the housing complex or center officials, even as he remains supportive of Obama and feels connected to the project’s history.

via Fox News|
#chicago#construction#flooding
Obama Presidential Center Sparks Debate: Library or Activism Campus?
politics2 months ago

Obama Presidential Center Sparks Debate: Library or Activism Campus?

The opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has critics arguing it isn’t a traditional presidential library but an activism-focused campus run by the Obama Foundation; it houses a museum about Obama’s presidency while his records are stored elsewhere, sits on Jackson Park public land under a long 99-year lease, and has sparked concerns about public trust, financing safeguards, and whether the project serves as a memorial or a political operation.

via Fox News|
#activism#obama#obama-presidential-center
Tom Hanks fires a cheeky ratings dig at MS NOW during Obama Center gala
arts-entertainment2 months ago

Tom Hanks fires a cheeky ratings dig at MS NOW during Obama Center gala

Tom Hanks teased MSNBC's MS NOW live on air at the Obama Presidential Center opening, quipping “What can I do for the 800 people watching MS NOW?” and telling the reporter to “add a zero” to the ratings; MS NOW’s numbers were cited as roughly 691,000 daytime viewers and 1.1 million primetime in Q1 2026. The ceremony drew former presidents and stars, and Hanks has previously donated coffee machines to the White House press corps.

via The Independent|
#arts-entertainment#barack-obama#msnbc
Native dance follows land-acknowledgment controversy at Obama Center
politics2 months ago

Native dance follows land-acknowledgment controversy at Obama Center

During the Obama Presidential Center's opening weekend in Chicago, a Native American dance troupe performed after officials faced backlash over a widely mocked land acknowledgment; the event included a drum circle and a placard recognizing Indigenous peoples, drawing mixed reactions as some critics called the acknowledgment performative while others saw it as a cultural tribute.

via Fox News|
#chicago#indigenous-peoples#land-acknowledgment
Indigenous land acknowledgment comes with debate as Obama Center opens
politics2 months ago

Indigenous land acknowledgment comes with debate as Obama Center opens

At the Juneteenth opening, the Obama Presidential Center unveiled a permanent Indigenous land acknowledgment near its museum tower, highlighting Native ties to the land; the project sits on 19.3 acres of Jackson Park transferred from the city for $10 after years of lawsuits, fueling ongoing debate over public-land use, funding, and whether the center operates as a private foundation rather than a traditional presidential library.

via Fox News|
#controversy#indigenous#jackson-park
Engineer Defends Bold, Speech-Wrapped Tower at Obama Center
politics2 months ago

Engineer Defends Bold, Speech-Wrapped Tower at Obama Center

Chris Bird, the structural engineer who helped design the Obama Presidential Center’s bold top tower wrapped with Obama quotes, says the unprecedented design was the president’s vision and anchors the site as the center opens to the public; critics have called it a monstrosity, but Bird argues it’s a grand, sky-reaching gesture that blends with the park, with attendees praising the center as futuristic and breathtaking.

via Fox News|
#architecture#chicago#controversy
Obamas Take Aim at Trumpism in Chicago Presidential Center Debut
politics2 months ago

Obamas Take Aim at Trumpism in Chicago Presidential Center Debut

At the Chicago opening of the Obama Presidential Center, Barack and Michelle Obama delivered rousing speeches that praised past achievements and offered veiled critiques of Donald Trump and his administration, signaling a stance in favor of democratic ideals as attendees including Clinton, Bush, and Biden looked on and performers like Springsteen and Aguilera performed.

via Rolling Stone|
#barack-obama#democracy#michelle-obama
Chicago's Obama Presidential Center Opens Amid Ballooning Costs and Displacement Fears
politics2 months ago

Chicago's Obama Presidential Center Opens Amid Ballooning Costs and Displacement Fears

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago opens after costs balloon to about $850 million, with Illinois taxpayers contributing roughly $120 million for surrounding infrastructure and total public costs around $200 million. The center is a civic campus with a museum, library, plaza and community programming, but locals warn the project could price them out via higher rents and taxes. The project has faced controversy over design, delays, payments to subcontractors, and a racial-discrimination lawsuit by a Black-owned firm; the Obama Foundation defends its DEI goals, while some see the center as a potential economic engine for the South Side.

via Fox News|
#chicago#cost-overruns#displacement
Chicago Welcomes a-Star Fueled Opening for the Obama Presidential Center
politics2 months ago

Chicago Welcomes a-Star Fueled Opening for the Obama Presidential Center

The Barack Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago as a $850 million, 20-acre complex featuring a public library, park, and sports facilities to honor Obama’s 2009–2017 presidency. The ceremony drew a who’s who of power and pop culture, including former presidents Biden, Bush, and Clinton; world leaders like Justin Trudeau and Angela Merkel; and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Bono and The Edge, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Tyler Perry, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Dwyane Wade, and the Obama family. Performances featured Springsteen and Wonder among others, underscoring the center’s prominence in post-presidential life and its ties to American cultural and political influence.

via Business Insider|
#celebrities#chicago#former-presidents
Obama Center Opens as South Side Residents Brace for Rising Costs
local2 months ago

Obama Center Opens as South Side Residents Brace for Rising Costs

The Barack Obama Presidential Center’s opening on Chicago’s South Side is celebrated by some residents but feared by others who worry about rising rents, property taxes and displacement in Woodlawn, South Shore and Hyde Park. Community groups have lobbied for tenant protections and affordable housing, while critics point to unmet promises and the ongoing influence of the University of Chicago and developers in reshaping the neighborhood.

via The Guardian|
#affordable-housing#displacement#gentrification