Chicago & Midwest + South Side + Retail | April 15, 2021

Pre-Construction Work Launches at Future Obama Center Site

Pre-construction work has gotten underway at the future site of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park. The $200 million of preliminary work includes relocating utility lines and other necessary steps ahead of construction on the center, which is expected to start in the latter half of the year.

“COVID-19 has provided us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create and expand opportunities for residents in our most disinvested communities,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “The set of investments we are making in tandem with the development of the Obama Presidential Center will not only help to kick-start our economy, but also spur the inclusive economic growth we need to rise above this pandemic by uplifting our historic South Side.”

However, simultaneous with the launch of pre-construction, a group of community activists filed suit in federal court Wednesday in a renewal of their bid to halt the project.

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 13-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 15-20 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).