The project was first announced in 2015 and was promoted as a major investment in Chicago's South Side.
As the Obama Presidential Center opens its doors in Chicago, former first lady Michelle Obama has said that the next chapter of her life is focused on herself. The Obama Presidential Center has come under fire for years over rising costs and a design that has been likened to Star Wars' Death Star.
During an interview with Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts, Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama were asked to describe what word defines the next chapter of their lives. Barack Obama answered: "Fun."
Michelle Obama offered a different response. "Me," she said.
The comment came as the Obama Presidential Center officially opened after years of planning, legal battles, construction delays, and rising costs.
The project was first announced in 2015 and was promoted as a major investment in Chicago's South Side. The nearly 20-acre campus includes a museum, public gathering spaces, athletic facilities, gardens, and exhibits dedicated to the Obama presidency.
While supporters have argued the center will bring tourism and economic development to the area, the project has faced criticism throughout its development.
Several lawsuits were filed over the decision to build the center in Jackson Park. With CBS reporting that some parts of the suits were tossed from a federal court. The project's price tag also ballooned well beyond early estimates. Reports have placed the final cost at roughly $850 million, per CNN. Despite the controversies, the center officially opened this week and is expected to attract visitors from across the country.
President Obama wrote, announced the opening, “The Obama Presidential Center is finally opening! Tune in today on Obama.org starting at 11am CT as Michelle and I share what this moment means to us and celebrate with friends, family, and members of the community in Chicago.”
The opening ceremony of the center featured a land acknowledgement, with a speaker telling the crowd, "we’d also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon which we are gathered today. We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi nations."
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