Federal lawsuit accuses Obama center organizers of pulling an 'institutional bait and switch'

[DonViejo]

Source: Chicago Tribune



By Tony Briscoe
Chicago Tribune

A federal lawsuit filed by a Chicago nonprofit in an attempt to block the Obama Presidential Center from being built in Jackson Park accuses organizers of pulling an “institutional bait and switch” by shifting the center’s purpose away from being a true presidential library.

Protect Our Parks Inc. also claims in its lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, that the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago don’t have the authority to transfer public parkland to nongovernmental entity such as the Obama Foundation.

It has long been expected that the Park District would sell the land to the city for a nominal amount and the city would enter into a long-term lease with the Obama Foundation. The lawsuit, which also names three Chicago-area residents as plaintiffs, argues that such a maneuver would violate state law and represents “a short con shell game, a corrupt scheme to deceive and seemingly legitimize an illegal land grab.”

“The City and Park District clearly realize and fully understand that this established law precludes the Park District from arbitrarily transferring possession, use and control of this dedicated ‘open, clear and free’ public parkland in Jackson Park to a private nongovernmental … entity’s self-determined use,” the complaint says.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obamacenter/ct-met-obama-center-lawsuit-20180514-story.html

[VMA131Marine]

1. And who is Protect Our Parks Inc exactly?

Well none of the news stories elaborate on this point and there doesn't seem to be any website for the group so don't blame me for concluding that Protect Our Parks Inc is a RW astroturf group set up specifically to obstruct and delay the construction of the Obama Center.

Correction: there might be a website, but it's been dormant since 2015.

http://protectourparks.org/

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Recover Brands. Free shipping on $50 orders. (though OP's edit for link might be actual one)

https://recoverbrands.com/pages/protect-our-parks
https://recoverbrands.com

[marble falls]

3. I'll bet all three "plaintiffs" are white male GOP who haven't been in a park in years....

Scratch that. Just a bunch of tree huggers who don't seem to know any people of color. Saving parks is a good idea but most Presidential Libraries are closer to being parks than commercial exploitation of commons.

They're dead wrong about this one.

[LisaM]

9. You call conservationists "tree huggers"?

I think you need to read up a bit more on what's actually going on.

[marble falls]

11. I'm both. I don't find the term "tree hugger" offensive. I'm very proud of it. Very.

[LisaM]

13. Well, if you look at the picture of the proposed building, then....

you'll most likely agree it really doesn't belong in a bucolic setting. It's quite horrible (at least the drawing).

[marble falls]

14. With that argument no buildings are OK. This is an exception, and a good use of the commons....

theoretically there are no more than 45 Presidential libraries (15 in actuality, run by the Federal Government.) They do plant trees in these parks. They also save as many as they can.

They aren't doing this with our parks...

[LisaM]

18. No, that particular building is an eyesore.

I think park buildings are best made of materials native to the surroundings, river rock, for example, native woods. I think the proposed building is really terrible, not to mention that it's too tall for the space.

I do think parks have to provide mixed use for the residents, and that they should be functional and safe. I don't think there's any particular reason to locate a building that looks like that in the middle of a park. It looks like an iceberg sticking up, and that design (if you have to use it, I personally don't care for it at all) would be better situated on a city block, hopefully not replacing some beautiful Beaux Art building the way Trump Tower did in New York.

[irisblue]

4. Click bait site.

[Sunlei]

17. like a park in the southside of old chicago needs $50 dollar' 'ecosocks' with free shipping

.

[jberryhill]

12. Tom Tresser

http://www.tresser.com/about/

Tom was the Green Party candidate for the position of President of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County in November 2010 election. With Benjamin Sugar Tom co-founded The CivicLab, a co-working space where activists, educators, coders and designers came to work, collaborate, teach, and build tools for civic engagement. The space was located in Chicago’s West Loop at 114 N. Aberdeen and operated for two eventful years closing on June 30, 2015.

[Eliot Rosewater]

15. ANYTHING associated with Obama will get a certain reaction from a certain group, always.

[jberryhill]

20. I doubt it has anything to do with Obama

There are a lot of issues with the trendy sorts of public/private joint ventures to use what were formerly wholly-owned public assets.

I don't know the ins and outs of this particular project, but there is absolutely no reason why someone with a history of engagement on the issue of public/private land use partnerships is likely to give two hoots what name is going to go on the building.

[LisaM]

5. The Sun Times has a better explanation.

It was originally going to house a library (now it's not), and the boundaries of the approved project have moved. Moreover (this is my assessment) the proposed building is FUGLY.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/federal-lawsuit-filed-to-block-obama-center-in-jackson-park/

And from the Cook County Record, which discusses public taxes being used for this:

https://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/511416886-protect-our-parks-group-sues-to-block-con-game-allowing-obama-museum-in-chicago-s-jackson-park

One of the plaintiffs is Charlotte Adelman, who is a known conservationist:


http://www.ohioswallow.com/author/Charlotte+Adelman

[YOHABLO]

7. Fugly is right. I mean couldn't they come up with another design than this? Matter of taste I guess.

[LisaM]

8. I sure wouldn't want that in my local park.

If nothing else, this can delay it while they come up with a more holistic design that fits the space.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Dont' know why they need virgin parkland in a big city

there's plenty of buildings to raze and build anew and help an existing neighborhood

[Sunlei]

10. Jackson park will remain-PICTURE. Obama stated that he really wants to make sure that violence isn't

Obama stated that he really wants to make sure that violence isn’t the only thing making headlines in Chicago. “It’s going to be a transformational opportunity for this community,” he said. “It’s not just a building. It’s not just a park, but hopefully, this ends up being a hub where all of us can see a brighter future for the South Side.”

Obama stated that he wanted to make an upgrade to Jackson Park and suggested bringing paddleboats to lagoons, basketball courts and winter activities to the campus. The plan is to close Cornell Drive in order to add the forum and athletic building. Obama is confident that closing Cornell Drive will not add to commute times. The goal is for the design to blend effortlessly with Jackson Park and the neighborhoods that surround it.

[Eliot Rosewater]

16. Fucking Obama, always trying to HELP not harm. Doesnt he know this is America

and we, at least lately anyway, only want to hear ways to HARM others?

[pazzyanne]

19. I'm confused.

"In a statement released Monday, the city framed the lawsuit as a roadblock to economic progress for the South Side.

“The Obama Presidential Center is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest hundreds of millions of dollars that will create good jobs on the South Side, bring our communities together and honor the legacy of Chicago’s favorite son and daughter. While some choose to stand in the way of progress for the South Side, we are focused on making progress in every community in Chicago,” the statement read."

Is this a protest because this is a Presidential Center instead of a "traditional Presidential Library"? If so, I have been to several presidential libraries and they are drier than year old bread. The proposed purpose of the Obama Presidential Center is"


"The Center

We’re building a campus for active citizenship in the heart of Chicago’s South Side — but it will have projects all across the city, country, and world. The Center is a work in progress, built in direct partnership with thousands of people who have offered their feedback in-person and online. The Obama Presidential Center will be a living, working campus — an ongoing project where we will shape, together, what it means to be a good citizen in the 21st century."

Sounds a lot more functional to me that "traditional presidential libraries".

https://www.obama.org/the-center/

[VMA131Marine]

21. Someone else doesn't have a traditional Presidential Library

https://www.cartercenter.org/

[pazzyanne]

22. Thank you, VMA131Marine!

I was not aware of the Carter Center being so functional, although I have been following the Carters work with Habitat for Humanity for years. They built a Habitat home in St. Cloud, MN a few years ago. Another Democratic President who works to improve people's lives not only while he was in office, but to this day. Love both Jimmy and Rosalyn for their continued work.