Even before opening in June, the Barack Obama Presidential Center is drawing controversy over its site selection and funding.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 16th, the Obama Center, which opens on June 19, is projected to be the most expensive of all presidential commemorative facilities. The total project cost swelled from the initially envisioned $300 million (about 440 billion won) to about $850 million, and the construction period also set a record at 3,437 days, the longest on record.
Compared with recent presidential facilities, the delay stands out even more. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library opened about 1,000 days after the president left office, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center took 1,398 days, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center took an average of 1,653 days. In contrast, the Obama Presidential Center reached 3,437 days, more than double the construction period.
The Obama Center was built as a complex on about 19.3 acres (about 78,104 square meters) in Chicago's Jackson Park, including a museum, a public library, and sports and cultural facilities. In particular, it includes numerous amenities rarely seen at prior presidential facilities—such as a recording studio, educational spaces, a two-story playground, and basketball courts—earning assessments that it aims to expand as a community space.
Emily Bittner, Spokesperson for the Obama Foundation, said the campus, excluding the museum, will be open free of charge and will offer amenities not found at other presidential centers, such as an NBA-regulation basketball court and a variety of cultural and educational facilities. In addition, free or discounted admission will be provided to low-income visitors and service members, and Illinois residents are said to receive free admission on Tuesdays.
However, the admission fee is $30 for adults, 59% higher than the average of major past presidential facilities. The actual visit expense is expected to be much higher because Chicago imposes some of the highest taxes in the United States. Guests at large hotels must pay a hotel tax of up to 19%, and purchases of souvenirs are subject to sales taxes of at least 10.25%.
Some say this cost structure could turn into a political dispute. Joe Ferguson, head of the Chicago-based civic group Civic Federation, noted that the high expense poured into the center could provide new grounds for the Republican claim that Democrats favor high-tax policies.
Previously, the Obama Center faced repeated controversies during construction and was at risk of being derailed. In particular, noise over the facility site caused delays from the original schedule, as opposition continued that the facility should be built not in Jackson Park—a national historic site and development-restricted area—but in nearby Washington Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood. Jackson Park is a historic civic park known as the "oasis" of Chicago's South Side.
Its operating and funding model also came under scrutiny. Unlike past presidential libraries, the Obama Center was designated to be managed and operated as a private facility outside the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) system, drawing criticism that public assets should not be transferred to a nongovernmental private organization. In addition, when the city of Chicago announced it would inject $175 million in taxes into the construction project, civic groups reportedly criticized strongly, saying, "The expense residents must bear could grow larger."
Supporters of the project say the Obama Center will become a tourism hub drawing about 700,000 visitors annually as it takes root as a symbolic space for Democratic supporters. Given that former President Obama is the most popular figure within the Democratic Party, analysts say steady demand from supporters will continue. Earlier, the Obama Foundation achieved fundraising results strong enough to publish a list of donors who gave $1,001 or more.
Meanwhile, in contrast, the proposed presidential facility for Joe Biden is reportedly struggling from the initial fundraising stage. Planned for Delaware, the Biden project appears to be burdened by end-of-term evaluations in the fundraising effort.