Five years after the site was first selected, construction began Monday at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park. While the legal challenges are not entirely over yet, the Obama Foundation has given the green light to start road work. NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern reports.
With construction on the Obama Presidential Center officially under way, new documents show the latest price tag is about $830 million.
The cost for Barack Obama's legacy project in a park on the city's South Side has changed since the former president chose Jackson Park in 2016. In recent years it was around $500 million.
Construction, which began last Monday after years of delays, is expected to take about five years.
Documents released by the Obama Foundation show $700 million is for construction $90 million will be for preparing exhibits and artifacts; and $40 million will be allocated for the first year of operating costs.
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The foundation has collected $720 million in gifts since 2016 and aims to raise $1.6 billion over the next five years. Last year, more than 100 donors put in more than $1 million to the Obama Foundation. Some of the most recognizable donors include Bill and Melinda Gates, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin and Oprah Winfrey.
The presidential center's campus will include a museum, public library branch and outdoor space.
Obama has said he hopes the center would help promote the city’s South Side and bring Chicagoans together.
