>> THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER
IS A BIT CLOSER TO REALITY
TODAY.
THAT'S AFTER THE FORMER FIRST
FAMILY BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA
RETURNED TO CHICAGO TO BREAK
GROUND ON THE CENTER IN JACKSON
PARK.
THE MOVE COMES AFTER YEARS OF
LEGAL BATTLES GENTRIFICATION
CONCERNS AND A FEDERAL REVIEW.
OUR AMANDA VINICKY WAS THERE FOR
THE GROUNDBREAKING AND JOINS US
NOW FROM JACKSON PARK.
AMANDA, SET THE SCENE FOR US?
>> YES, BRANDIS I'M JUST OUTSIDE
JACKSON PARK OUTSIDE OF THE
CLOSED GATE.
BEYOND WHICH WILL BE THE FUTURE
BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL
CENTER.
AND I AM GUESSING IT WILL BE A
WHILE BEFORE MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO GET PAST
THAT FENCING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WEREN'T
THERE TODAY IT WAS A SMALL
AUDIENCE OF DIGNITARIES AND
MEDIA.
WHAT WE SAW AT THIS POINT A LOT
OF DIRT BULLDOZERS AND
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.
BECAUSE WHILE TODAY WAS THE
OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING, THERE'S
BEEN A LOT OF WORK GOING ON IN
THIS SITE SINCE THE OBAMA
FOUNDATION OFFICIALLY TOOK IT
OVER SOME 19 ACRES OF JACKSON
PARK'S 550 ACRES IN MID-AUGUST.
DURING HIS REMARKS FORMER
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TALKED
ABOUT WHY HE CHOSE THIS
PARTICULAR PLACE FOR THE
MONUMENT TO HIS LEGACY.
>> CLOSE TO WHERE MICHELLE GREW
UP.
WHERE I STARTED MY POLITICAL
CAREER.
IT IS SURROUNDED BY VIBRANT
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND A COMMUNITY
WHERE WE BELIEVE WE CAN HELP
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
JACKSON PARK ALSO HAPPENS TO
HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART
BUT IT WAS LITERALLY MY ENTRY
WAY INTO CHICAGO.
>> WITHIN A COUPLE MILES RADIUS
OF HERE, HE SAYS IS WHERE HE AND
MICHELLE HELD THEIR WEDDING
RECEPTION AT THE SOUTH SHORE
CULTURAL CENTER WHERE THEIR
DAUGHTERS WERE BORN IN A NEARBY
HOSPITAL WHERE HE AND A FORMER
FIRST LADY BOUGHT THEIR FIRST
HOME.
>> CHICAGO IS WHERE I FOUND THE
PURPOSE I HAD BEEN SEEKING.
IT'S WHERE I FINALLY PUT MY
IDEAS ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND
ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE TO
THE TEST.
>> MICHELLE OBAMA WAS LIKEWISE
SAYING HER SOUTH SHORE
UPBRINGING COURSES THROUGH HER
VEINS AND DESPITE HAVING THAT
ROYALTY AND IS MOST PROUD OF
BEING A DAUGHTER OF THE SOUTH
SIDE EVEN IF SHE SAYS AS A
YOUTH, THE PARK ITSELF DIDN'T
CALL TO HER.
IT WAS MOSTLY A PLACE TO DRIVE
THROUGH OR DRIVE AROUND.
SHE SAYS THAT WHEN HER FAMILY
WANTED TO GET CULTURE OR
GREENSPACE THEY HAD TO REALLY
PILE INTO HER FATHER'S BUICK AND
GO NORTH.
>> AN EVEN AS A CHILD, I
UNDERSTOOD THIS DISPARITY.
I UNDERSTOOD THAT WHENEVER THERE
WAS A HUGE INVESTMENT OF
RESOURCES IN THE CITY, NEW PARK
OR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS,
OR ANY OTHER BEAUTIFICATION
EFFORT, IT JUST RARELY HAPPENED
IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> THE OBAMAS SAY THEIR PLAN IS
TO QUOTE RESTORE JACKSON PARK.
THEY WILL PLANT NEW TREES AND
MAKE THIS A PEOPLE'S PARK.
NOW, THE WORD RESTORE IS ONE
THAT MAY CAUSE UMBRAGE FROM
CRITICS, THERE IS STILL AN
ONGOING LAWSUIT THAT IS SEEKING
TO PREVENT THE CENTER FROM BEING
BUILT HERE ON AT JACKSON PARK
THE SITE OF THE 1893 WORLD'S
FAIR AND AN OPEN AREA THAT THE
ORGANIZATION PROTECT OUR PARKS
SAYS SHOULD REMAIN THAT WAY AND
THAT WAS A POINT MADE BY A PLANE
FLYING OVERHEAD DURING THE
CEREMONY WITH A BANNER THAT READ
STOP CUTTING DOWN TREES MOVE
OPC.
PROTECTS OUR PARKS SAYS IT CAN'T
TAKE CREDIT FOR THE PLANE EVEN
IF IT AGREES WITH THE SENTIMENT
ISSUING THE STATEMENT SAYING THE
HOMECOMING OF THE FORMER
PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY SHOULD
BE A MOMENT OF PRIDE.
ON THIS THIS VISIT WE HOPE THEY
WILL MOURN THE DEVASTATION OF
THE CLEAR-CUTTING OF THE TREES
AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
WOMEN'S GARDEN IN JACKSON PARK.
IN ADDITION TO THE LONG-TERM
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH
DANGERS THAT WILL ENSUE.
DIXON RAMIRO WAS BORN AND RAISED
IN SOUTH SHORE AND LIKEWISE SAYS
TODAY TO BE A JOYOUS DAY AND
SAYS THERE IS POTENTIAL THAT IT
WILL BE THE START OF A JOYOUS
OCCASION BUT HE SAYS IN ORDER
FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THE CITY
NEEDS TO MAKE SURE TO PROTECT
SOUTH SHORE RESIDENTS FROM
GETTING DISPLACED.
>> WE NEED MORE PUBLIC AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTH
SHORE BECAUSE THE PRICES THAT
ARE CHEAP THEY ARE RELATIVELY
CHEAP MOST SOUTH SHORE RESIDENTS
STRUGGLE THEY WILL RISE UP
BECAUSE BETWEEN BETWEEN THE LAKE
THE GOLF COURSE AND THE OBAMA
CENTER THIS IS GOING TO BECOME
PRIME REAL ESTATE AND THE FOLKS
WHO SENT BARACK OBAMA TO
SPRINGFIELD AND THE SENATE AND
THE FOLKS WHO SENT HIM TO
WASHINGTON D.C., THEY SHOULD BE
PART OF THE JOURNEY OF THE
CENTER AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE
TO STAY.
>> THE CITY COUNCIL DID PASS A
HOUSING PRESERVATION ORDINANCE
COVERING WOODLAWN.
BUT THERE IS NO SUCH MEASURE
RIGHT NOW FOR SOUTH SHORE
RESIDENTS PROTECTIONS.
ALDERWOMAN LESLIE HAIRSTON SAYS
THE COMMUNITIES ARE DIFFERENT.
>> THEY HAVE VA CAN'T LAND IN
WOODLAWN THAN THEY DO IN SOUTH
SHORE.
YOU HAVE A MIXTURE OF FEDERALLY
SUBSIDIZED, STATE SUBSIDIZED AND
OTHER SUBSIDIES.
YOU'VE GOT MARKET RATE.
YOU'VE GOT AFFORDABLE RENTALS.
YOU'VE TWO FLATS AND THREE
FLATS.
SO YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING AND
IT'S ALL IN A DENSE AREA IT'S
NOT AS SPREAD OUT AS THE PARKS
OF WOODLAWN THAT I REPRESENT.
>> SHE SAYS, HOWEVER, THAT THERE
SHOULD BE NEWS COMING SOON ABOUT
SOUTH SHORE.
NOW, I DID TALK WITH OTHER
CHICAGOANS SOME OF WHOM WERE
BOTHERED THAT THE OBAMAS KEPT
TODAY'S EVENTS SMALL RATHER THAN
PARTICIPATION FROM THE
COMMUNITY.
I HAD KEFVIE HOBBY WHO LOST HIS
SON TO GUN VIOLENCE AND SAID
PRESIDENT OBAMA SHOULD USE HIS
RETURN TO THE CITY TO DEAL WITH
THAT ISSUE.
>> WE ARE OUT HERE TRYING TO
SAVE THESE KIDS GIVE THEM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING YOU
CANNOT TELL THEM TO STOP.
AND YOU NOT GIVING THEM AN
OPTION TO DO SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
FIGHTING FOR WE NEED HELP.
PRESIDENT OBAMA IF YOU CAN HELP
US.
>> NOW, CERTAINLY NOT EVERYONE
IS UPSET.
I SPOKE WITH A MAN WHO LIVES
ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE
FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CENTER AND
HE IS POSITIVELY THRILLED THAT
WHAT HE SAYS HE EXPECTS WILL BE
CHICAGO'S GREATEST CONSTRUCTION
WILL BE ACROSS FROM HIS HOME.
NOW THE OBAMAS HAVE HIGH
ASPIRATIONS FOR THE CENTER.
IT MAY BE JUST DIRT NOW, AND
NICE DIRT AS PRESIDENT OBAMA
CALLED IT, BUT THEY WANT IT TO
BE A CATALYST FOR REINVESTMENT
IN THE SOUTH SIDE PROVIDING JOBS
AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
SURROUNDING AREAS AND MOSTLY
BLACK RESIDENTS AND BRING
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY.
OBAMA SAYS THAT HE WANTS THIS
MUSEUM, ACCOMPANYING ATHLETIC
FIELDS AND LIBRARIES TO BE MORE
THAN JUST A PRESIDENTIAL
ARCHIVE.
>> WILL BE THE WORLD'S PREMIER
INSTITUTION FOR DEVELOPING CIVIC
LEADERS ACROSS FIELDS, ACROSS
DISCIPLINES AND, YES, ACROSS THE
POLITICAL SPECTRUM.
A FORUM FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO
STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATIC IDEALS AND
FOSTER ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP.
A CAMPUS HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE
WHERE WE HOPE TO CONVENE SUPPORT
AND EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION
OF LEADERS.