Former President Obama visits construction site of his presidential library
CHICAGO (CBS) — Former President Barack Obama visited the Jackson Park site of his future presidential center on Monday as builders marked a new milestone. He spoke to the small group of Chicagoans helping build the structure that will tell his life story and help shape his legacy.
Sixty blocks from the South Loop, the former president, in a hard hat and vest, steered totally clear of anything resembling politics.
At 225 feet high, it is called the museum building. It is the centerpiece of this 19-acre campus.
Obama came to sign his name alongside the workers, bringing it to life.
"First and foremost, I wanted to say thank you so much, everybody," Obama said.
The Obama Presidential Center, just blocks from Lake Michigan at 62nd Street, made news as some criticized it for taking over green space and potentially pricing some residents from the neighborhood.
It is slated to be finished in two years. However, the project that began years ago as an idea wasn't always a sure thing. Earlier in the day, Obama met with young people to discuss what they'd like to see at the Center.
Some neighbors CBS 2 spoke with in the neighborhood say traffic has gotten trickier, and a rodent problem began around the time construction of the center began.
They said it's frustrating but a win for the neighborhood once the dust settles.
But for Evangelist Lattice Porter, who lives across the street, that noise came from people who did not live in the area.
"A lot of us are saying we want it. We are glad they are coming. But a lot of them say they dont. But I live over here. The people that are saying they dont live over here..and i cant wait til its finished," Latice-Porder.