We appreciate Lee Bey’s preliminary assessment of the Obama Presidential Center, which recognizes many of the concerns the community has raised over the past decade about the relationship of the complex to Frederick Law Olmsted’s historic Jackson Park.
There are two additional issues worth attention now as the presidential center sets troublesome precedents for the future.
First is the inappropriate transfer of public land to a private entity perceived by some as promoting an agenda with partisan underpinnings. By a bait-and-switch process, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel orchestrated the transfer of a large slice of Jackson Park to the Obama Foundation for the erection and operation of a “presidential center” for 99 years for a total fee of $10. Originally represented as a presidential library (to be under the aegis of the National Archives), the project transmogrified into a totally private initiative operating an international program of fellowships and forums addressing civic leadership, a local community services program and a personal museum showcasing the achievements of former President Barack Obama.
However much one admires Obama and recognizes his unique place in American history, it sets a dangerous precedent for the city of Chicago — or any governmental body — to endorse and facilitate the post-tenure activities of a major political figure. It violates all norms and is particularly regrettable in a period when standards are being ignored and violated in increasing numbers.
Also of note is the failure of the city to hold the Obama Foundation responsible to the financial terms of the agreement that gave it a slice of Jackson Park. The master agreement, drafted under Emanuel and signed in 2018, specified that before construction of the presidential center could begin, the foundation would certify that it had in hand funds sufficient to complete the project in full and had established an endowment dedicated to covering operation and maintenance costs for the term of the agreement. In 2021, as the foundation was struggling to raise all needed funds and eager to show progress on the already delayed project by breaking ground, Mayor Lori Lightfoot waived those financial requirements.
In the years since, the construction costs quickly ballooned, and the endowment fund, opened in 2021 — before the shovels dug in, with a deposit of $1 million — remains inadequate. The fund now holds $1,044,060 because of interest earnings, which would provide on average about $50,000 to support annual operating needs that have been projected by some at around $30 million. The foundation will have to continue to fundraise for many years beyond 2026 to sustain the presidential center and its programs, and if the endowment gap is not closed, there’s a fear Chicago taxpayers will be on the hook.
As the presidential center prepares to open its doors next year, we think its checkered path to this point offers a cautionary tale for Chicagoans and for civic leaders everywhere about the misuse and abuse of public resources.
Brenda Nelms and Jack Spicer, Jackson Park Watch, Hyde Park
‘Federal’ crimes
Criminal activity likely increased during “Operation Midway Blitz.” Unfortunately, this is because of the violent crimes committed in the Chicago area against people and property carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officials.
Craig Jacobson, Skokie