Obama Presidential Center supporters 'see a light at the end of the tunnel,' while opponents say

Obama Presidential Center supporters ‘see a light at the end of the tunnel,’ while opponents say it’s not over yet


When Pastor Byron Brazier passes by the future site of the Obama Presidential Center, he already sees the glory of the South Side, he said.

There’s the palace-like Museum of Science and Industry building, its lofty Greek columns and jade-colored dome reflecting in the lagoon. The gothic towers of the University of Chicago’s leafy campus. And the 550 acres of Jackson Park teeming with wildlife and green land — and where he is patiently waiting for the 235-tall, sprawling Obama center complex to one day stand.

“The assets that are on the South Side that had been overlooked will now be recognized,” Brazier said about one of the significances of the center.

Not so fast, say opponents such as Herb Caplan, president and founder of the Protect Our Parks nonprofit that sued to try to block the center.

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