CHICAGO | Obama Presidential Library

[Mr Downtown]

Obama Center design team plans changes for proposed garage

The Obama Center design team has been reworking plans for a proposed controversial garage on a portion of the historic Midway Plaisance, across the street from where the presidential complex is to be built in Jackson Park.

“There will be some changes,” Michael Strautmanis, the Obama Foundation’s Vice President for Civic Engagement told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday. There now are some “new ideas” on the drawing board, he said.

When I left off on this story in November, Tod Williams, one of the architects, said relocating the garage was under consideration, given the concerns of community groups for the historic publicly owned Midway property.

Williams noted some options in November: Putting the 450-car garage underground at the Midway site — Stony Island between 59th and 60th — or under the Obama complex, or finding another place to put it.

The design team now has developed design options along the lines Williams noted. Their plans are evolving at the same time as the opposition against the use of this portion of the Midway for a garage has become more organized and hardened in the past months.

Given that backdrop, the Foundation has invited about 50 interested parties — friends and foes — for a private presentation at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 . . .

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sw...oposed-garage/

[aaron38]

That's good. Calling an above grade garage "underground parking" because it had dirt pushed up around it was insulting.

[left of center]

This was my biggest gripe with the Obama Center. Definitely good to hear that the issue is going to be addressed.

[TimeAgain]

Did that link just say 2021 ground breaking? What?

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by TimeAgain

Did that link just say 2021 ground breaking? What?

Curbed made an error, and most likely meant to say "2021 opening".

[LouisVanDerWright]

Yeah they also called the Metra tracks the "CTA tracks" which is another glaring error. The quality of Curbed has really tanked since they lost their editor LaTrace.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Stockerzzz

It questioned whether that date is even feasible.

Is anyone let down by this library?

-- No physical records are being kept on site. Only digitized items.

-- A parking garage on top of the Midway Plaisance.

-- A small bland museum.

-- A forum and branch of the Chicago Public Library

Really? It seems like it's attempting to become a community gathering center given his background rather than a library. I thought it would be a more transformational proposal given his legacy.

And, it cringes me to say this, but I bet Trump's library blows this one out of the water.

its hard to be "let down" but something that is still in the planning stages and is years away from opening and being able to evaluate on its own merits. that said the weight of the expectations placed on this thing, the notion that its single handedly going to transform the city and the south side, isnt all that unlike the unrealistic expectations places on this guys presidency. it could never possibly live up to it.

i really dont know what people are expecting, but they are largely taking the right approach IMO and the records thing is being blown out of proportion. for 99% of people that will remain irrelevant.

still wish theyd find another spot for the stupid garage.

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

its hard to be "let down" but something that is still in the planning stages and is years away from opening and being able to evaluate on its own merits. that said the weight of the expectations placed on this thing, the notion that its single handedly going to transform the city and the south side, isnt all that unlike the unrealistic expectations places on this guys presidency. it could never possibly live up to it.

i really dont know what people are expecting, but they are largely taking the right approach IMO and the records thing is being blown out of proportion. for 99% of people that will remain irrelevant.

still wish theyd find another spot for the stupid garage.

I haven't followed the plans closely and don't know what is realistically expected. But notable to me is how this area is not exactly a backwater as it stands. One of the world's great universities...a science museum that attracts about 1.5Mil annually...several other attractions around campus or nearby....that and the hospital are major employers..... Yet, all of that only got us so far. One more institution will be a plus - I can imagine a slew of possible economic and educational benefits - and perhaps it will help put the entire area "over the top," but probably a good idea to temper enthusiasm a bit.

Like others, I wonder about the location. Not only in an Olmstead park, but on Stony Island rather than a location with commercial appeal or a way to keep people in the neighborhood rather than have them leave the Center, see nothing around them worth approaching, walk toward their car or Metra, not pass a single business and simply head home or to their hotel. MSI is similar in that regard. Seems like a missed opportunity to provide a more direct benefit to the community and provide a richer experience for visitors.

[bnk]

Obama can generate enough money to build an underground 5 level parking garage in the park. If Bush II can raise a Billion dollars for his library there this should not be a cost issue. It's pissing a lot of people of that they will not bend on appeasing the locals and preservationists not to build below grade and not take up space on the midway.


Its almost arrogance at this point.

Perhaps Friends of the parking lots can get involved in this one and ship this what ever it is to Hawaii or NYC.

Seriously There is no reason that an underground parking garage cannot be built to please all parties. Its not like money is going to be an issue for team Obama. Hell I will be the first to donate to it if they just to the just thing and leave the park at the same level.


Are they worried that people could not find an underground parking spot or something. Up to now it seems to be arrogance against anyone suggesting not have an above ground parking garage in the park.


I mean what's the big deal here? Under ground parking for people in general is preferable IMO. Its warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer down there.

Underground Pedways are easy to do. Hell O'Hare can do it.

What's the issue and why are the Obama team being so obstinate on this invasion of the park and this above level parking structure.


Again I say money should not be an issue for our great historic POTUS.

Imagine him building a parking tower in Central Park NYC. I don't think that would pass muster either.

[10023]

This project seems like a huge disappointment overall. The parking garage, the lack of retail or anything else nearby that could possibly benefit economically, the nature of the museum and library itself, all obviously flawed.

That public housing across the street is an obstacle to any kind of positive surrounding development (and would need to be torn down, which they won't do), and then the Metra line is a barrier (unless it's buried, which it won't be).

I still think somewhere like the block at 60th and Cottage Grove would have been a better choice if you wanted to revitalize the area. Otherwise, build it on the western side of Stony Island (replacing public housing), right up against the Metra line with its own station. If anyone can get community housing activists to shut up for a minute, it would be Obama right?

[LouisVanDerWright]

Guys you are acting like these are accidental planning oversights and not by design. Do we really think Obama wants visitors to his high and mighty computer lab to "interact" with this community? It is quite obvious that this building is designed to be isolated, the last thing Obama wants is for visitors to associate his legacy with the tucked up racial situation on the South Side. The right thing to do here would be to make people uncomfortable and to make them interact with that, but Obama obviously doesn't want to make this library about that. He wants the most grandiose shrine to his ego possible parks be dammned and racial equality be dammed. When the entire design function of a building makes you say "well why is it so isolated" then slash through the befuddlement with Occam's Razor and realize that the simplest explanation is correct: it wasn't designed to help the community, it was designed explicitly to be isolated from it.

[Skyguy_7]

^Nailed it.

[davytudope]

Per a SunTimes article

The foundation does not want an underground garage at the Center. A big reason is to spark linked economic development that could only happen with a separate building — where people will have to take a short walk to the Center — providing potential customers for future restaurants or stores.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/ob...r-garage-site/

[Ned.B]

Taking that quote in the context it was given below, I think that is a good argument for not placing an underground parking garage immediately under the library, as like the Museum of Science and Industry for instance it would allow the visitors to drive in visit and back out without ever stepping foot in the city. It isn't a very good argument for an underground versus above ground garage at the Midway, but I don't think that was the intent.

[ardecila]

It's interesting to parse these comments IMO. What kind of side development are they expecting there? The big parcel across from the Library site is Jackson Park Terrace, which is (partly) Section 8 housing. Wouldn't look too good if Obama gentrified the neighborhood and kicked out a few hundred struggling families. I guess it could be redeveloped in such a way that the affordable housing was replaced, but even that can backfire politically (see Atrium Village).

There is a small parcel on the corner of 60th/Stony that is a parking lot owned by the University of Chicago... if there were to be side development, it would be here. I could imagine the University leasing spaces in the new Obama garage for its employees on weekdays, while redeveloping the old parking lot as a mixed-use development with apartments and shops. However, this is a pretty sleepy/low-income area, so the only way to lure retailers would be if there was a stream of high-income museum visitors walking past the site.

There's also a community garden at 59th/Stony that could be redeveloped, but I have to imagine it's managed by a bunch of crotchety old socialists who would allow redevelopment over their dead bodies...

[Mr Downtown]

President of the Cultural Landscape Foundation on "Is Chicago about to ruin Jackson Park?"

Spoiler alert: yes.

[Kumdogmillionaire]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

President of the Cultural Landscape Foundation on "Is Chicago about to ruin Jackson Park?"

Spoiler alert: yes.

I think the word ruin is a bit hyperbolic, but maybe that's just me. The park is still going to be 98% the same or improved upon.

[Bombardier]

The contractor has been selected for this project. A venture led by Turner Construction.

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Guys you are acting like these are accidental planning oversights and not by design. Do we really think Obama wants visitors to his high and mighty computer lab to "interact" with this community? It is quite obvious that this building is designed to be isolated, the last thing Obama wants is for visitors to associate his legacy with the tucked up racial situation on the South Side. The right thing to do here would be to make people uncomfortable and to make them interact with that, but Obama obviously doesn't want to make this library about that. He wants the most grandiose shrine to his ego possible parks be dammned and racial equality be dammed. When the entire design function of a building makes you say "well why is it so isolated" then slash through the befuddlement with Occam's Razor and realize that the simplest explanation is correct: it wasn't designed to help the community, it was designed explicitly to be isolated from it.

Sure, I don't think they were looking to do anything too adventurous, but I don't think it is quite this simple either. For example, at this location the southern edge of the expanding University campus could have made logical sense and at least not been so isolated.
The problem is that anything complicated is more challenging. Creating a vision, acquiring land, demolishing buildings, doing anything in the way of modern urban renewal for the surrounding site - time, effort, money, political will. All of that is hard. Far easier for all parties involved to agree to stick it in a park and call it a day.

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

President of the Cultural Landscape Foundation on "Is Chicago about to ruin Jackson Park?"

Spoiler alert: yes.

"cultural landscape foundation"?