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Preparation underway for construction of Obama Presidential Center on South Side
People peeping at cherry blossoms in Jackson Park Wednesday afternoon were pleased to hear work is finally about to begin on the Obama Presidential Center.
CHICAGO - The planned Obama Presidential Center is getting design advice from the Chicago Botanic Garden.
The Obama Foundation recently announced the partnership.
Foundation officials say the Chicago Botanic Garden will offer expertise in designing and operating a fruit and vegetable garden at the presidential complex on the city’s South Side.
Center officials say the move is among multiple "sustainability-minded" design elements. That includes like storm water retention to allow for reusing water, repurposing existing trees and plans that’ll support migratory bird populations.
A new Chicago Public Library branch at the center will also have a rooftop garden where young people will be able to learn.
Preliminary work on the construction of the center is set to begin this month. The groundbreaking is planned for September.
The multibuilding center will cover nearly 20 acres of Jackson Park near Lake Michigan. The plan calls for changing adjacent roads in and around the park.
Groundbreaking for the center has been delayed for years because of a lawsuit challenging the use of public parkland and federal review needed because the center is being placed in a historic park. Activists were also concerned about about displacing area residents, which led the City Council to approve housing protections.