CHICAGO — A federal judge announced a final ruling Thursday ending the lawsuit that tried to block the Obama Presidential Center from being built.
A U.S. District judge officially dismissed the suit and ended the civil case following a long legal fight.
The group Protect Our Parks wanted to stop the ongoing construction of the center in Jackson Park, arguing federal agencies should have considered building the center elsewhere to avoid damage to the environment, but the city and the foundation said federal agencies closed the final review because they determined the center would not significantly impact the environment.
The foundation said the center is slated to open in 2025. Organizers expect the center to attract about 750,000 visitors a year.
It will sit on 19 acres (7.7 hectares) of the 540-acre (291-hectare) of Jackson Park, named for the nation’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. Significantly, it will be located near the Obama family home and where the former president started his political career on the city’s South Side.
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The city will own the center under the terms of a 2018 ordinance approved by the Chicago City Council.
The initial cost was projected at $500 million, but documents released by the Obama Foundation last summer showed the cost had climbed to roughly $830 million. Funds are being raised through private donations.
WLS-TV contributed to this report
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