Obama Presidential Center Park Plans Get Updated With Parking
Traffic flow and parking have been notable concerns of the plans for the Obama Presidential Center, and the most recent modifications aim to take care of that. According to Curbed Chicago, the Obama Foundation released a detailed look at its plans and an announcement of a parking garage on the project’s Jackson Park land.
The Obama Foundation informed community members in a closed-door meeting of the planned parking garage at the eastern end of Midway Plaisance, which would have enough space for 450 vehicles. The structure requires an additional four or five acres on top of the 21 acres offered by the city.
Renderings show the parking lot “hidden” under a green roof that would blend into the surrounding park. It would also include a tour bus staging area, a picnic area, and a play lot.
“Building a parking facility on the Midway continues the Obama Foundation’s goal of revitalizing Jackson Park and spurring economic activity across the South Side,” David Simas, Chief Executive Officer at the Obama Foundation, said in a statement. “With this proposal, we are increasing foot traffic within the community, not just in Jackson Park, and creating new park space for families to gather and play.”
The Midway Plaisance land is currently owned by the City of Chicago, and it requires input from the community and approval by the City of Chicago to move forward. Construction of the parking garage will be funded by the foundation.
The original plans for the park were released in May, and residents voiced their concerns over street closures and the impact it would have on traffic flow.