Chicago is putting the pieces in place to land the Obama Library. One proposal hinges on the availability of parkland on the South Side near the University of Chicago.
"Mayor Rahm Emanuel…will introduce an ordinance to transfer at least 20 acres of public parkland to the city if President Barack Obama decides to build his library and museum in either Washington Park or Jackson Park on the South Side, according to a source close to the process," reports Dahleen Glanton and Melissa Harris.
The transfer would commence only if the University of Chicago is selected as the site of the presidential library. Bids from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Columbia University in New York, and the University of Hawaii in Honolulu will compete to land the library and museum.
The University of Chicago's bid has sparked some controversy with regard to the parkland in question, "pitting park preservationists against residents of the surrounding South Side neighborhoods who fear they could lose a chance of securing the library if the parkland is not made available." The article also mentions the possibility of a lawsuit to prevent the city from moving forward with the transfer.
Earlier this month, Vicky Ranney and George Ranney penned on op-ed with five ideas for how the University of Chicago's bid might benefit either of the parks proposed as the potential site for the Obama Presidential Library.
FULL STORY: Emanuel to unveil ordinance transferring parkland for Obama library
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