Perspectives: Reporting on the Obama Presidential Center

[@magsbayou]

Hi Emma, First let me compliment you on a wonderful piece of reporting that I felt was 90% unbiased and simply gave the information and facts as you understood it. A little about me, I am a native Chicagoan, born and raised on the south side of Chicago, former resident and employee of the Univ of Chicago and former student of Hyde Park Career Academy. So my feedback is shaped by my background. 1. Thank you for filling in greater detail of the tensions surrounding this project. What you illuminated for me was a) the real purpose of the CA; b) the fact that a private entity will have ownership of public land; and 3) the varying conflicting interests in this project. 2. I will state first, I am in full support of this project and the location. I do respect the concerns surrounding it but my hopes was given their projections, it would provide much needed jobs and business opportunities to that community and hopefully contribute to reducing the crime rate in that community. But I agree with the point that you made that if they don't then it simply open a wicked gateway to gentrification and pushing the current residents out. Due to the crime rate, honestly I don't have a problem with that. 3. You raised a very good point about the prospective economic benefits to the community and why they want the CA. At the same time, the point raised about the project filtering in additional business to the surrounding community is something I didn't consider. 4. I do believe that community needs investment and a chance to gain business opportunities and jobs provided if the Obama Foundation lives up to their projections. I don't agree that Washington Park is a good location. The surrounding area is too under-developed at this time to support the chances of meeting their anticipated business opportunities and jobs projections. I have to ask, wouldn't the center pose the same challenges as Jackson Park? Gentrification, private entity owning public land etc. It is true, depending on the location near Washington Park, it could still put them in proximity of Univ of chicago. 5. That area, IMHO, requires a bit of development and gentrification. It has degraded since I attended school there and if they want business to filter out into that community then they have to reduce the level of crime. 6. I absolutely agree with the community's stance of not closing Cornell drive. Stoney Isl currently is difficult to cross and I believe even with expansion, it would add congestion. I also believe it is an unnecessary cost to the tax payers. 7. Last, I believed, prior to your video, that the CA should be between the residents and the mayor. This is because I believe the residents were fighting for protection against gentrification and rising property taxes. However, I appreciated that you brought more insight in that they wanted to have first opportunity to jobs and business opportunities and that I agree with especially if they are giving up public land to a private entity. Sorry for the long comment but I truly appreciated the greater insight you provided.