A deal for the Obama Presidential Center to be built in Jackson Park in Chicago is being finalized.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration is sending the city council two ordinances to complete a 99-year deal to build the presidential center on 19.3 acres of land, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
As part of the deal, the foundation will pay the city $10 for the nearly 100-year land agreement. The second ordinance would allow part of Cornell Drive to be reconfigured as green space. The proposal to dig up Cornell Drive, a main thoroughfare through the park, has been controversial.
[Previous coverage: Federal judge hands Obama Presidential Center opponents a win]
“The idea of leasing invaluable, irreplaceable public parkland to a private entity for $10 for 99 years is astounding in this era when public lands and natural resources are under attack in so many places. Besides, Chicago’s finances are extremely precarious. Yes, this is symbolic, but symbolism is significant,” Jackson Park Watch co-founder Margaret Schmid told the paper.
Federal reviews of the land still need to be completed before development of the center moves forward.
The Obama Center complex in Jackson Park will not include a presidential library. A permanent location for the library has yet to announced. The park will house a museum and an athletic and conference center.
Once the center is completed, the city will own the land and the buildings.
