When former President Barack Obama announced plans for his Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park, many people were excited. The idea was to build a museum, library, and community center that would honor his legacy and help the neighborhood. The price tag was big—about $500 million—but it was all supposed to be paid for by private donors, not taxpayers.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the story has changed. The cost has now jumped to more than $830 million, and the center won’t even open until April 2026—two years later than first planned. So, how did a half-billion-dollar project turn into an $830 million mess?
Let’s start with the basics. The Obama Presidential Center is being built in Jackson Park, a historic area on the South Side of Chicago. It’s supposed to include a museum tower, a branch of the public library, and spaces for community events. Big names like Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey have helped fund the project. But even with all that money, things are not going smoothly.
Locals who live near the site say the center is doing more harm than good. Rent prices have nearly doubled in some parts of the area. One resident said two-bedroom apartments that used to cost $800 a month are now going for $1,800. Families who have lived there for years are being pushed out. Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor said there’s no agreement in place to make sure people in the neighborhood benefit from the project. There’s also no guarantee that locals will get jobs or see more affordable housing.
And that’s not all. A federal lawsuit filed earlier this year says a Black-owned subcontractor was treated unfairly during the building process. The lawsuit claims racial discrimination, which has only added to the tension surrounding the project.
Some community members also say the building itself is too big and doesn’t fit in with the park. One man called it a “monstrosity” that doesn’t respect the culture and history of the neighborhood.
So why is everything taking so long and costing so much more than planned? Construction workers say they’ve been forced to attend long “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) training sessions. One foreman said they had to sit through 90-minute meetings about oppression and equity instead of doing their jobs. These sessions were reportedly required often, which slowed down progress and added to the bill.
President Donald Trump, back in office, spoke out against the project in May 2025. He called it a “disaster” and blamed what he called “woke” hiring practices for the delays and extra costs. He even claimed construction had stopped, although the Obama Foundation later said that was not true and that they’re still working.
Just a few blocks away, a very different kind of project is taking shape. Reverend Corey Brooks, a conservative pastor, is building a $47 million center focused on leadership and economic opportunity. It’s located on the city’s notorious “O Block,” an area known for crime and poverty. Reverend Brooks isn’t using DEI policies or big-name donors. Instead, he’s raising funds on his own, including through a 94-day rooftop campout and a planned 3,000-mile walk from New York City to California.
His center has already hired more than 150 local workers and offers job training and mentoring programs. Brooks says he believes in teaching young people about hard work and self-reliance, not victimhood. He also said his center is likely to change more lives than any massive museum funded by billionaires. Despite being nearby, he says the Obama Foundation hasn’t offered him any help.
While the Obama Center says it will be a global destination with gardens and a playground, many in the community are not buying it. Lawsuits, rising rents, and broken promises have made the project very unpopular with some locals.
In the end, the Obama Presidential Center and Reverend Brooks’ Project HOOD show two very different ways to try to fix struggling neighborhoods. One is flashy and expensive. The other is local and focused on people. Only time will tell which one truly makes a difference.