Politics & Government
OPINION: 2016 State Law Will Cause Lawsuit Against OPC to Lose
Chicago City Council Expected to Authorize the Obama Presidential Center Next Wednesday
OPINION BY SID COLTON
Although people should want to continue to express their support for the siting of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park ... in my opinion the likelihood of success in the current court case for the purpose of moving the Obama Presidential Center plans to a site other than Jackson Park, filed by "Protect Our Parks" ... is extremely minimal. Fears from the public that the Obama Center will not be built in Jackson Park, are not warranted by a look at the relevant laws.
In fact, it is more likely that this lawsuit will be quickly dismissed next week soon after the City Council meeting of Wednesday October 31st, than that this case will succeed. If the case is not dismissed right away by the court, the Judge announced yesterday that he will set a date on December 5th 2018, to hear arguments soon after, in this case. The decisive law (a copy is pictured above) can be seen on the State's website at:
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http://www.ilga.gov/legislatio...
The other point I have made for about a year or more, is that very little of this kind of delay would have been necessary if a more open and inclusive process for planning the Obama Center had been followed from day one, by the Obamas, by the University of Chicago, and by the Mayor. A fully open planning process would have gotten many more people excited and in favor of the plans, and would have reduced criticism, and would have made the existence and delays from this lawsuit much less likely. Why did it take a lawsuit for the Obamas to release the quite non-controversial drawings of the plans for the two other proposed sites?
Find out what's happening in Hyde Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Nevertheless itt will be a great moment when all have been heard, when the Center has a "go for takeoff", and when the people of Woodlawn, South Shore, and other nearby communities have a Center so promising and useful for improving the lives of the children and adults in this ever-so-needy part of Chicago ... that everyone will wonder what the fuss and delay was all about!