After Months of Speculation, the Obama Presidential Library is Coming to Chicago's South Side

After a long, and at times controversial battle, various local news outlets are now reporting that the Obama Foundation has selected the University of Chicago's proposal for the future Obama Presidential Library. While born in Hawaii and educated in New York City, Chicago has always been considered home to Barack Obama, who lived on the city's south side for years before his famous presidential run. Yesterday evening, both CBS and NBC's local Chicago affiliate stations hinted that the Windy City had been selected for the presidential library, with Crain's also checking in with sources about the rumors. However, today the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune are both confirming the rumors and have reported that the news will be made official today during a press conference.

While the news is indeed exciting for the City of Chicago, and particularly the city's south side, there are still a lot of questions. Throughout the bidding and selection process, the University of Chicago has been very quiet about their plans and only offered a small glimpse into proposal earlier this year. It's still unclear which location the Obama Foundation has chosen between the Jackson Park and Washington Park sites. Also, as the Tribune has highlighted, it's still unclear how and who will pay for the library. Finally, it's still yet unknown who will be the lead architect on the project. Previous rumors pointed to British architect David Adjaye, however we may find out the answer to these questions later today.

With the announcement that the Obama Library is coming to the South Side only adds to the number of very exciting and game-changing projects for the area. While the Lucas Museum remains controversial, the pair of new public institutions will certainly deliver new jobs and dollars to an area that can really use it.

·The University of Chicago Finally Shares Its Obama Library Plan [Curbed Chicago]
·Obama Library Decision on Hold Until After the Runoff [Curbed Chicago]
·Friends of the Parks: U of C 'Going Too Far' With Land Grab [Curbed Chicago]
·All previous Obama Presidential Library coverage [Curbed Chicago]