While Jackson Park is substantial, at 556 Acres, a great portion of the park is already dedicated to buildings, hardscapes, and limited-access parkland such as the golf course and marinas.  As a consequence, only 35.9% of the park today can be considered traditional, free-access green space, and much of this itself is of limited active function – areas between sidewalks and roads, for example.  Put succinctly, the many acres being excised and deleted for the Barack Obama Presidential Center, and the many others adversely impacted, are extremely significant, representing nearly 10% of the "free-access" area.  They also are one of the largest contiguous areas of this purpose within the park.

This is a tragic and completly avoidable outcome for the South Side of Chicago.