The Washington Park neighborhood site for construction of the Obama Presidential Center is based upon vacant or underutilized land, immediately adjacent to the park proper.  No land from the park itself is considered for construction.  Some improvements are made to Washington Park itself, but these are limited to fountains, bicycle paths, diverse new plantings, and dual pedestrian promenades anchored by symbolic gateway pergolas.  In all cases, existing trees and historic landscapes within the bordering Washington Park Arboretum have been respected.

As previously detailed on this site in the booklet devoted to the Washington Park community, the broad majority of land identified here for use is already owned by the University of Chicago, the City of Chicago, or its subsidiaries.  In fact, the site closely parallels that offered originally by the University of Chicago for this purpose during its site review and selection process.  At the time, the University identified numerous advantages to this special place aside Washington Park, including economic growth and ease of integrating the center into the existing community without significant strain.  The University’s statement to the Obama Foundation during this process is as follows:

In the Twin Embraces plan, the urban fabric of the Washington Park neighborhood has also been respected at all times. Historic buildings and spaces have been preserved and strengthened, with the massing and scale of the new buildings designed to respect the existing context and complete the urban context. The only current improvements on the land to be used are a gas station, a vacant automotive shed, and surface parking for the Chicago Transit Authority. This parking has been retained and, in fact, tripled in size in the Twin Embraces plan, improved significantly by being newly located in a covered parking garage.