|
As if Chicago community organizers haven’t offered enough criticism of the troubled Obama Presidential Center rising in what used to be cherished green space, now the project is getting a harsh new critique from Washington. Phillip Bailey reports for USA Today that while meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney today, President Donald Trump was discussing the
difficulties of construction and “took a detour” to discuss the massive project in the Windy City’s historic Jackson Park. Mr. Bailey quotes Mr. Trump: “President Obama – and if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I’m a really good builder and I build on time, on budget – he’s building his library in Chicago, and it’s a disaster,” Trump said. But it’s not an official presidential library managed by the National Archives, which means that Mr. Trump probably can’t do much to help unless Mr. Obama invites him to join the effort to get the project on track. Mr. Bailey notes: The Obama Presidential Center is an ambitious 19-acre project being built as a tribute to the former president in the heart of a South Side neighborhood. The construction is about halfway complete, according to the former president’s foundation, but it has been besieged by significant delays and has gone well over budget. Its initial cost of $350 million, has ballooned to $830 million. The center was originally supposed to open in 2021, but last year officials announced it wouldn’t be open to the public until 2026.
|
