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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Obama makes pitch for his center in Jackson Park: 'Too much development' has not been the problem for South Side |
| 2018-03-05 |
| [Chicago Tribune] Former President Barack Obama came to Chicago on Tuesday to again make the case for building his presidential center in Jackson Park, telling hundreds of people gathered at McCormick Place that he believes his South Side complex will create more jobs, attract businesses and give more opportunities to local residents. Obama downplayed concerns about increased housing costs and other issues that have been raised by residents who live near the center. "A lot of times, people get nervous about gentrification and understandably so," he said. "It is not my experience ... that the big problem on the South Side has been too much development, too much economic activity, too many people being displaced because all these folks from Lincoln Park are filling in to the South Side. That's not what's happening. "We have such a long way to go before you will start seeing the prospect of gentrification,” he said. “(My daughter) Malia's kids might have to worry about that. Right now, we've got to worry about broken curbs and trash and boarded-up buildings. That's what we really need to work on." It was the foundation’s second and final large-scale public meeting on the center, which now goes before the city’s Plan Commission. The foundation is looking to garner more public support and enthusiasm for the project, and made a move in that direction early Tuesday by announcing it will donate more than $3.5 million to build a new artificial turf field in Jackson Park. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #1 It's all about MEEEE! ( P.S.: I didn't build that, either) |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2018-03-05 17:51 |