Obama is failing.
After years of public backlash, the Obama Presidential Center is finally addressing criticism over its controversial design, soaring cost, and mounting opposition from local residents.
Construction on the massive complex began in 2021, but the project has never escaped controversy. Located on Chicago’s South Side, the center’s main structure rises 225 feet into the skyline. The tower is gray, imposing, and largely windowless—an unusual choice that has drawn sharp reactions from the surrounding community.
Many residents say the building feels out of place, while others question why such a costly project was approved in the first place.
During a recent tour with CBS News, Obama Foundation Deputy Director Kim Patterson attempted to explain the design choices that have sparked years of criticism.
Patterson said the lack of windows was intentional, claiming sunlight could damage historical artifacts and artwork that will be housed inside the facility.
She also defended the building’s unusual shape, saying it was designed to resemble four hands coming together—a symbolic message meant to reflect unity and collective action.
That explanation has done little to calm critics.
LOOK:
Obama's $850 Million presidential library, which taxpayers are expected to pay for operational costs once completed.
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) November 3, 2025
It looks like a North Korean guard tower/cement dildo.
And the left are crying over a privately funded ballroom. pic.twitter.com/9CusuyAOY0
From the beginning, the project has faced legal challenges, public protests, and vocal opposition from local residents. In 2018, a lawsuit accused city officials of improperly transferring public parkland to the Obama Foundation. The legal fight dragged on for years before finally ending in 2022.
Public frustration has remained visible at the construction site, where protesters have repeatedly gathered to voice concerns about the building’s appearance, size, and purpose. Some locals have sarcastically dubbed the structure “The Obamalisk,” a nickname that reflects its stark, brutalist design.
Patterson claimed community input has influenced certain decisions, including the placement of a parking garage. Residents objected to an above-ground garage, arguing it would block sunlight from nearby homes and gardens. As a result, the foundation agreed to move the garage underground.
Still, design concerns are only part of the story.
The project’s ballooning price tag has raised even more questions. Originally estimated at $500 million in 2017, the cost of the Obama Presidential Center has surged to roughly $850 million as of 2025—a dramatic increase that continues to draw scrutiny.
The center is currently scheduled to open in June 2026. Whether it will ever be embraced by skeptical Chicago residents—or by Americans who question its cost and symbolism—remains to be seen.
