In July 2016, the Obama Foundation announced that Barack Obama Presidential Center would be located in Jackson Park, between 60th and 63rd Streets on Stony Island Drive. The Center will house the Obama Foundation as well as Obama’s presidential archives.
The library, which is scheduled to be completed by 2021, will cost upwards of $300 million. Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Interactive Design Architects will jointly lead the design of the project, and Ralph Appelbaum Associates will create the exhibition design.
The South Side of Chicago holds special importance for the Obamas, who own a home in Hyde Park and returned to Chicago regularly while living in Washington. The couple has deep ties to the University of Chicago, which is located near Jackson Park; President Obama taught at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years, and Michelle Obama worked for the University and for the University of Chicago Medical Center for over a decade.