Obama Presidential Center Dealt Legal Setback

There are more than a few reasons to think that the Obama Presidential Center won't go the way of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which gave up and decamped for Los Angeles.

February 21, 2019, 6am PST | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

"In a setback to plans to build the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side lakefront, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit challenging its location can proceed," reports Lolly Bowean.

U.S. Judge John Robert Blakey ruled that the lawsuit by the environmental group Protect Our Parks had sufficient grounds to proceed, though the judge did throw out lawsuits filed against the city of Chicago and the Park District.

"The ruling to allow the suit to proceed is significant because it could delay construction for months, and potentially raise the question of whether the $500 million sprawling presidential campus can be built at all on lakefront property in Jackson Park," according to Bowean.

Blair Kamin followed up on the news of the ruling with a column providing insight into the consequences of the decision, which also compares the project to the failed example of George Lucas's plans to build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Chicago.

Full Story:

In blow to Obama Presidential Center backers, judge allows lawsuit challenging Chicago's Jackson Park location to proceed

Published on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 in Chicago Tribune