CHICAGO (WLS) — With the center that bears his name now more than halfway complete, former President Barack Obama visited the site in Jackson Park on Monday to thank workers.
“I can't thank you enough for the sacrifices you've made,” President Obama said.
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President Obama addressed workers who are among the thousands who have worked on the project since the Obamas broke ground in 2016.
The tallest structure the tower has reached. The eight-storey building is enclosed and to record this, everyone involved in the construction signed a beam that was placed at the top.
Despite opposition to the park's land use and concerns that local Chicago residents will be locked out of their neighborhoods or priced out, the center is moving forward with the Obamas' design, enhancing landscaping and amenities and promising to increase local jobs, particularly for black and brown tradespeople and women.
“Young people are now able to learn and have opportunities that they never had before, and that's not just because of me, it's because of you,” Obama said.
Ernest Brown is one of the general contractors on the project.
“All the Obama Foundation asked us to do was carry it on and make sure minority and women contractors and workers got the same benefits,” Brown said.
It took some patience to get a photo with all the workers before he left. For some, the encounter was surreal.
“I never thought I'd ever get to meet him, so I was really excited to actually shake his hand and talk to him,” electrical engineering intern Kayla Davis said.
President Obama will likely feature again at future key moments in the project.
The home court multipurpose space is scheduled to open late next year, with the full center scheduled to open in spring 2026.
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