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The Obama Foundation has just released the most detailed look at its plan for Jackson Park yet. An aerial illustration depicting the Obama Presidential Center has been sent along with a formal announcement regarding the planned parking garage for the new South Side campus. The new site map is a refinement to the original which was unveiled in May. Not only can we see how the planned road closures would alter traffic flow, but we finally have a much clearer look at how the campus will reshape Jackson Park and the very eastern end of the Midway Plaisance.
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Among the new buildings planned for the campus, we get an impression of how the parking structure will work into the proposed complex. According to the Obama Foundation, the parking garage will have room for 400 to 450 vehicles and its construction will be paid for by the foundation. The parking structure will be capped with a large green roof spanning three to four acres where a new park space will be built. In today’s announcement, the Obama Foundation says that the Obama Presidential Center and its parking facility “are designed to unlock the full potential of Jackson Park as a recreational destination for the community and visitors alike.”
The Chicago Park District approved the transfer of 20 acres of public parklan to help Chicago’s chances of landing the Obama Presidential Center more than two and a half years ago. And while this move was made some time ago, the Obama Foundation will have to seek additional approvals to construct its parking garage on roughly 4-5 acres on the Midway Plaisance.
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Update: Obama Foundation reps reached out to clarify that the plan for the primary OPC campus in Jackson Park is still expected to fall under the 21 acres offered by the city, however the new plan for the parking garage on the Midway Plaisance will add an addition four or five acres to the OPC bringing its total size to somewhere in the 25-26 acre range.
- Obama Foundation will build its own parking garage for presidential center [Curbed Chicago]
- Jackson Park redevelopment would require more road closures [Curbed Chicago]
- Obama Foundation: Presidential center’s economic impact could be worth billions [Curbed Chicago]
- How the Obama Presidential Center could reshape Jackson Park [Curbed Chicago]