The Importance of a Sound Site Selection

A poorly chosen site can ruin the prospects of an important civic facility.  Shoehorning the future Obama Presidential Center into a congested corner of Jackson Park may ultimately be seen as Exhibit A.

In an implicit acknowledgement that intruding into Jackson Park is a misguided approach, a great amount of the future Presidential Center complex is concealed below towering mounds of engineered earth, designed superficially to resemble natural landforms.  It is worth noting here, the Center’s manmade topography, often 30 feet or greater in height, is certain to be comprised primarily of “geofoam,” otherwise known as polystyrene, with only limited amounts of earthen growing material as a disguise.  Moreover, 40% of the square footage of the occupied building is thrust below current grade, counteracting the building’s visual impact and relevance in the city.

At taxpayer expense, important historic and functional thoroughfares are to be futilely vacated in a costly blunder.  The sole purpose?  An attempt to replace park acreage that in reality never should have been eliminated.  (See Slide 7 for additional information and graphics.)  Not a single community voice in Chicago was demanding, nor even contemplating, the erasure of these roads prior to the arrival of the Obama Presidential Center.

All of these actions within Jackson Park impair the Obama Presidential Center and reduce its impact.  Worse yet, they are ruinous, blatantly wasteful - from both ecological and economic perspectives - when contrasted with innumerable opportunities in the many sections of Chicago that can offer virtually endless empty land suitable for building.  The siting of the Center in Jackson Park is, in essence, a rejection of the very communities the Obama Foundation proclaims to serve, setting the facility to the greatest extent possible apart from its urban environment.

Logistics

Situated alongside South Stony Island, and without other vehicular access due to road closures, the Obama Presidential Center requires all of its core exterior interfaces to be localized on one elevation.  Recall first that the primary north-south artery in Jackson Park, Cornell Drive, is to be eliminated, forcing all traffic either onto Hayes Drive, connecting to Lake Shore Drive, or onto Stony Island itself.  The bulk of local traffic will migrate to Stony Island, as connectivity into the shopping, cultural, and educational center of Hyde Park is restricted when approached from northbound Lake Shore Drive.  Effectively, all of this local traffic must pass directly in front of the Obama Presidential Center’s front door and in competition with its loading, parking, and delivery operations.

Lacking a prominent and gracious entry, with the noise and congestion of Stony Island passing in front, the Presidential Center’s entry plaza will be of limited visual impact or urban value.  It lacks the prominence, glory, and dignity that should be fully expected of a Presidential Center.

Further, note that the linear configuration of the Center and single-sided access diminish and often prevent basic functionality.  An example of this limitation is the absence of an indoor connection between the visitors’ parking garage and the main entry, forcing pedestrians onto the sidewalk during Chicago’s cold winters and periods of rain. Another is the lack of accommodations for a presidential motorcade or a secured place of arrival for visiting dignitaries.  Reduced expectations will result in both cases, requiring sacrifices by the public, but also resulting in reduced attendance and utility of the Center itself.

Both the public parking garage and truck access, for deliveries and waste, are accessed via Stony Island, either necessitating a northbound route of travel, or turns across this already congested street.  Loading, similarly, both for common cars, as well as for tourist busses and public transportation, is fancifully organized as a single northbound lane on Stony Island.  This will require either a personnel-directed queue, as is seen at drop-offs in airports, or parallel parking along Stony Island.  Both of these notions are farcical, considering the high traffic volume of this street.  The full effect of the congestion caused by this overly optimistic approach has not been fully studied or revealed in the City of Chicago’s traffic studies, and easy resolutions to it are not readily apparent.  Moreover, the effects on public safety caused by the large amount of activity in a highly trafficked area have not been revealed.

In the event of emergencies, limited vehicular routes accessible from the perimeter of the complex will cause strain on the Center, on its security force, and on first responders.  Evacuation means appear to be limited, particularly in the event of security threats.  In fact, because the site provided to the Obama Foundation extends eastward to the Jackson Park lagoon, during times of high-security events, it is anticipated the entire perimeter of the site may need to be fortified and policed, with public access entirely eliminated.  North-south public traversal of the park would be mostly choked in this event, with the lagoon and driving range limiting public options for movement to just a few narrow pathways. (Subsequent to this writing, the City of Chicago further announced that the Wooded Island will be closed to the public after dusk, each day of the year.)

All of these shortcomings can be avoided by choosing a site with fewer restrictions and greater opportunity for spatial and logistical organization, such as the site available aside Washington Park, detailed in Twin Embraces.