Obama Center Opening Fuels $850 Million South Side Displacement Fears

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 16

Chicago’s $850 million Obama Presidential Center is nearing its public opening in Jackson Park, but some South Side residents say it has already deepened anxiety over who will benefit.
Rising rents, property values that have doubled near the site and a surge in Airbnbs have fed fears that Woodlawn and South Shore families will be priced out rather than lifted up.
Pastor Corey Brooks, founder of Project H.O.O.D., argues the center reflects a top-down legacy project after years of unfulfilled promises, while crime, poverty and family breakdown remain entrenched.
The criticism underscores a broader test for the center: whether promised jobs and visitors can outweigh skepticism that a high-profile monument will deliver lasting neighborhood change.