After 5 years, Obamas break ground on Presidential Center
The Hindu
Construction on the Obama Presidential Center along Lake Michigan, near the Obama family home and where the former president started his political career on Chicago's South Side, officially began last month
After five years of legal battles, gentrification concerns and a federal review, Barack and Michelle dug shovels into the ground Tuesday during a celebratory groundbreaking on their legacy project in a lakefront Chicago park.
Construction on the Obama Presidential Center along Lake Michigan, near the Obama family home and where the former president started his political career on Chicago's South Side, officially began last month.
Standing near an excavator and other heavy equipment, Obama described how the city's South Side shaped him, first as a community organiser, then as a husband, father and elected official. He said the center was one way of giving back and he hoped it would bring an economic boost to the area and inspire a future generation of leaders.