The Obama Center Leaves Chicago Communities In Its Shadow (activist, soldier, lobby)

[jm1982]

Good article in the Nation ( a progressive publication ) regarding the Obama Center being built in Chicago .

Hopefully it does do good things for South Side Chicago , as things sound pretty bad there and there is a ton of corruption.

The writer of this article has met Obama several times and Obama wanted him to help him with his campaign and lives in the area but doesn’t seem to optimistic about the center .
—
The Obama Foundation is back selling hope and change to big-name donors, but this time, Chicago’s South Side residents aren’t all buying it.

The Obama Foundation has made vague promises to “support neighborhood stabilization efforts,” “create a strategy around vacant land,” and ensure that residents who want to stay in the area “will be given the tools…to do so.” But Obama himself has rebuffed a Community Benefits Agreement put forward by a South Side coalition of activists, working-class tenants, and other locals who say they welcome the center on the condition that it benefit their community. The CBA’s modest demands include a set-aside for low-income housing, a freeze on property taxes, and a promise that most new jobs will go to local people. When Obama addressed a community event to discuss the center by video link, he refused to engage seriously with the CBA lobby

https://www.thenation.com/article/ob...nities-shadow/

[DavePa]

Neighborhood residents fear rising prices with the Library and gentrification. Their fears are probably correct. Time will tell.

Whole reason for the fight.... not a Library to Obama. But the city voted unanimously to build.

The city is not going to fight progress to build the city. They lost the Lucas museum that George Lucas chose to build on Chicago's great lakefront next to Soldier Field by downtown for. But friends of the lakefront for public use .... fought it with lawsuits and seemingly won. City approved but still lost by these lawsuits Lucas chose not to further fight and more delays. LA then won.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by DavePa

Neighborhood residents fear rising prices with the Library and gentrification. Their fears are probably correct. Time will tell.

Whole reason for the fight.... not a Library to Obama. But the city voted unanimously to build.

Yeah of course gentrification is two sided . Long time residents that own their own home could benefit financially.
All speculation of course what will happen specifically in the area .

[pknopp]

Nothing new. Obama is big on rhetoric but lacking on actions unless it goes in his pockets.

[residinghere2007]

Nothing new in regards to all huge developments in most neighborhoods usually get some push back from the communities and especially majority black communities.



I think it's kind of funny that people are making a big deal of it just because it's Obama but maybe I'm just numb to it because I used to work in housing development and this sort of stuff happened for every single development.


It will get built and the people won't stop it but they usually can negotiate some sort of things that will benefit them long term like a preference to neighborhood residents for jobs.


I'll also note that the south side of Chicago isn't all bad and horrible like people like to believe based on media. Also black Chicagoans in particular are very vocal and active in political and development debates. I did a few projects there too and they were some of the worse people to deal with (worse only because they never want to take "no" for an answer) lol. I enjoyed them though. Taught me a lot about being calm and not falling for the okey doke from people trying to embarrass you.

[sware2cod]

They also want the City of Chicago and The University of Chicago to agree to stipulations outlined in a proposed ordinance. Plus the Obama Foundation.

From the CBA(Community Benefit Agreement) website:

We seek a CBA with the Obama Foundation, City of Chicago, and University of Chicago, via an ordinance we propose to the Chicago City Council.

Ordinance - Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Obama Library