The ‘Obama Presidential Center (‘vanity project/folly’) - -costing $850 million to build has first year operating costs of $40 million and will charge $30 a ticket (photo ID required)
visit to a block of concrete anyone?
From here:
“John Nolte of Breitbart News has a theory about this:
My guess is that after the initial excitement, that $30 price tag combined with all the cost and hassle involved in driving and parking in Chicago will slow traffic considerably.
That leaves an awfully expensive infrastructure to maintain. But, not to belabor the point, we are talking about Democrats here, so I’m sure there is some scheme planned where the presidential library becomes a “Learning Center” or a phony hospice that bilks we the taxpayers out of billions.”
Chicago remains a sanctuary city in 2025 and 2026, having maintained this status for over 40 years through executive orders, ordinances, and state laws. The city prohibits local police and city workers from inquiring about, disclosing, or enforcing federal immigration laws, ensuring that residents can access public services and contact law enforcement without fear of deportation based solely on their immigration status.
Maybe it will house a few thousand undocumented immigrants or parolees needing some free housing.
Here’s some background from Brave AI:
“The final cost of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is $850 million, a figure confirmed by the Obama Foundation in September 2025. This amount represents a significant increase from the initial estimate of $300 million to $500 million announced in 2019, driven by expanded community features and construction complexities.
Total Project Cost: $850 million (including construction, endowment, and site improvements).
Original Estimate: $300 million (2019 proposal).
Funding Source: The project is privately funded through donations and does not use taxpayer money.
Key Features: The cost covers a museum, public library branch, basketball court, recording studio, and extensive landscaping on 19.3 acres of Jackson Park.
The center is scheduled to open on June 19, 2026, and unlike other presidential libraries, it is not run by the National Archives, which maintains the official presidential records in a separate facility in Hoffman Estates.
The estimated first-year operating costs for the Obama Presidential Center are $40 million, a figure included in the center’s total projected budget of $850 million.
This operating cost is part of a breakdown that also allocates $700 million for construction and $90 million for preparing artifacts and exhibits.
The estimated first-year operating costs for the Obama Presidential Center are $40 million, a figure included in the center’s total projected budget of $850 million.
This operating cost is part of a breakdown that also allocates $700 million for construction and $90 million for preparing artifacts and exhibits.
While the center is privately funded by the Obama Foundation, it was originally pledged to establish a $470 million reserve fund to protect taxpayers, though reports indicate only $1 million has been deposited into this fund as of late 2024.
While the center is privately funded by the Obama Foundation, it was originally pledged to establish a $470 million reserve fund to protect taxpayers, though reports indicate only $1 million has been deposited into this fund as of late 2024.
As of late 2025 and early 2026, the Obama Foundation reported net assets exceeding $1 billion for the first time after raising $195 million in 2024 from nearly 92,000 donors.
However, the foundation’s cash on hand dropped sharply to $116.5 million by the end of 2024, down nearly $80 million from the previous year, while still owing $234 million in construction costs for the Obama Presidential Center.
Regarding the specific reserve fund required to protect taxpayers, the foundation has only deposited $1 million into the $470 million endowment pledged to the city of Chicago, a figure that has remained unchanged since at least 2021.
Despite this, a spokesperson stated in September 2025 that the Obama Presidential Center is fully funded and scheduled to open in spring 2026, with plans to make “significant investments in the endowment” in the coming years.
Back to the Gateway Pundit article:
“The Wall Street Journal reports:
The Obama Presidential Center is finally here. Prepare to pay up.
Barack Obama’s new presidential center isn’t a cheap date, and neither is his adopted hometown.
When it opens June 19, it will set at least three modern-era records for a former White House occupant: time taken to be completed, project cost and the price to get inside.
At $30, adult admission to see the 44th president’s story is more than at any other U.S. presidential library, a Wall Street Journal review shows. That is 59% higher than the average for presidents from John F. Kennedy through George W. Bush.
The top admission for the Obama Presidential Center is in keeping with the record expense of the project in a city known for complex and costly urban development, steep taxes and premium cultural attractions.
Despite the price, Chicago is certain to become a Democratic mecca for those eager to reconnect with their party’s most popular living former president. The center is expected to attract approximately 700,000 visitors annually and be an economic engine for the city, while also potentially helping transform the surrounding lower-income neighborhood.”
My betting is ha h price will track that of hardback books published by failed politicians and will drop o ten bucks in a few years time.
Who is going to pay to tear it down?
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Where did all the money really go?
when i travelled to america i was amazed at how many buildings, airports etc were all named after huge crook pedos.....this one is no different.