As the Obama Presidential Center nears completion on Chicago’s South Side, some neighbors worry that their subsidized housing complexes will be purchased to make room for housing for wealthier residents.

The center, which was originally expected to open last month, is now slated for a spring 2026 opening. It cost about $830 million in private funding and an additional $174 million for transit improvements around the site.

“The Obama library is the latest development that turbocharges the gentrification discussion,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a professor of public policy and planning at DePaul. “It’s unfair to attribute most of the rental increases to the library itself, but it’s certainly a factor.”

Featuring a Chicago Public Library branch, vegetable garden, archives, an auditorium and an open field for outdoor movies in its sprawling complex, the center will offer a plethora of amenities for local residents. 

However, the plan also has received scrutiny from those it is intended to serve. Tanika Farmer, a tenant of subsidized housing which is located right across the street from the Obama library, was skeptical at first.

“I think it’s good for the area,” she said. “But I also feel like with all the new developments that we as a community, as a co-op, may get priced out.”

Some local residents protested the library’s location, but after being told they would be safe, Farmer said the residents felt satisfied. The Obamas and others heading the project did not, however, promise or sign a neighborhood development agreement with those locals.

“We were told how wonderful this was going to be for the community,” Farmer said. “The plans were fabulous. We could see this working, so we kind of let our guard down.”

As the library nears completion, it has begun to attract developers who’ve built sleek new single-family homes with freshly paved sidewalks.

 Farmer, who has lived in the same complex for 33 years, also said private developers have offered “free” renovations to people’s apartments, only to raise the price exponentially after.

“They’ll say something like, ‘okay, we’ll remodel your building so it will fit in with everything else,’” she said. “If I let them remodel, then I’ll be able to stay here. But rent is going to increase year after year, not all of a sudden.”

New, pricey residences aren’t the only problem locals face. The University of Chicago is only a mile and half away from the Obama Center, but it owns much of the land around Hyde Park, including where Farmer calls her home.

Adam Greer, a property manager at Farmer’s co-op, said residents fear that, since they are right next to the center, the university might decide to buy out the properties in favor of entertainment opportunities. 

“If the University of Chicago wants it, they are really well known for just taking whatever they want,” he said. “They could take all of this for some massive sort of entertainment complex.”

Since the property they live on is subsidized housing, Greer said residents like Farmer won’t be able to fight to keep their homes if “someone will make a higher offer.” He even thinks this part of Hyde Park could become like the Magnificent Mile where it’s wholly catered to tourists.

Schwieterman, at DePaul, agrees with Greer’s opinion, calling the library not just a development, but an “attraction on the scale” of the major lakefront park projects. He said Hyde Park is a “hot real estate market.”

Despite the fear and uncertainty for lower-income residents, Farmer continues to hold onto faith that the Obama Center will do right by her and her neighbors.

“I’m still hopeful that it’s going to be OK,” Farmer said. “I think the library is going to be good for us.”

The University of Chicago did not respond for comment.

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