Obama Center opening stirs pride and unease for Chicago’s South Side amid displacement fears

Key Points:

• Pastor Jeffery Campbell, a longtime Woodlawn resident and pastor, has witnessed rising rents and displacement linked to the University of Chicago’s expansion and the new Barack Obama Presidential Center, which officially opens on June 19.
• The Obama Presidential Center, part of a $850 million development, has accelerated gentrification fears in Woodlawn and neighboring South Shore and Hyde Park, where many Black residents face housing affordability challenges and displacement pressures.
• Community groups formed the Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition to negotiate protections, but direct agreements with the Obama Foundation were unsuccessful; however, city ordinances now provide some tenant protections and affordable housing initiatives, though many programs remain underfunded or unimplemented.
• The University of Chicago’s historical and ongoing role in neighborhood segregation and gentrification complicates local dynamics, as rising property values driven by institutional landholdings have priced out many longtime Black residents.
• While some residents express pride and excitement about the presidential center’s opening, concerns persist regarding housing affordability, displacement, and ensuring that longtime community members benefit from neighborhood changes.