Obamas Break Ground At Presidential Center In Jackson Park

JACKSON PARK, IL — Former President Barack Obama and his first lady Michelle Obama broke ground on the Obama Presidential Center Tuesday afternoon, calling the South Side site the place where "almost everything that is most precious to me began."

The Obamas were introduced by students from Chicago Public Schools along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The ceremony did not include the Obama Presidential Library, which was cut from the Jackson Park plot to save costs and avoid additional restrictions.

"It feels natural for Michelle and me to want to give back to Chicago and to the South Side in particular," Obama said. "The Obama Presidential Center is our way of repaying some of what this amazing city has given us, but we're also building this center because we believe it can speak to the struggles of our time."

Both Obamas, Pritzker and Lightfoot participated in the initial groundbreaking, digging shovels into a patch of dirt in front of the stage where speeches were given.

Michelle Obama was born and raised on the South Side and later met Barack in Chicago during the start of his political career. Pritzker said the state is now known to many as the "land of Lincoln and Obama," playing on the state's slogan and notable monuments to both legacies.

"This groundbreaking marks the next chapter in a journey that began several years ago, with many twists and turns, but due to the perseverance, dedication and the hard work of many we've arrived at this momentous day," Lightfoot said. "This is the future of the South Side that will be created in partnership with the community."

Some community organizers and preservationists have opposed the site, saying the historic former location of the World's Columbian Exposition is some of the only green space available on the South Side and a sanctuary to native bird habitats. Another concern has come from those living in affordable housing in the area, who are worried the center will cause residents to be priced out of their homes.

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Before the speeches began, a plane with a banner that read "Stop cutting down trees — move OPC" flew overhead the Obama Presidential Center site at 61st Street and South Stony Island Avenue.

Obama surprised workers at Chicago Women in Trade before the groundbreaking and also joined city leaders to discuss gun control as the city saw 59 gunshot victims alone over the weekend.

"Something I wanted to get done that I couldn't get done was get smarter, common-sense gun safety measures in place through Congress," Obama said in a Good Morning America interview when asked about Chicago's troubling homicides. "But what we can do is potentially give young people the sense that there's another way for them to empower themselves. … Those young people matter."