The Obama Foundation announced in August 2021 that the presidential center on a 19‑acre Jackson Park site would cost $830 million, up from the $500 million estimate in 2014. Legal opposition from neighborhood groups and a federal review of the National Register‑listed park stalled progress until 2021, when the foundation secured a waiver after a 2019 court ruling. Michelle Obama toasted the project at the groundbreaking, saying “This city…courses through my veins.” She framed the center as a tribute to the South Side and a catalyst for economic growth. The campus will house a museum, library branch, athletic center, test kitchen and kids’ play area, drawing an estimated 600,000 ticketed visitors and up to 1 million free‑access users each year, according to the foundation’s 2026 projections. Critics fear tree removal and rising property values could displace long‑time residents, while environmental groups argue the development threatens historic parkland. Construction wrapped up in 2028, and the center is slated to open in late 2029, after a final inspection by the city’s Department of Planning and Development.