Obama Library's New Enemies: 100 U of C faculty members

Crain's Chicago Business reports:

Barack Obama may be the pride of University of Chicago, but a lot of heavy hitters there are strongly opposing current plans for his library.

More than 100 U of C faculty members who say they support the location of an Obama Center near the campus nevertheless are opposing plans for it on economic and preservation grounds.

They say the center's proposed location lacks room to jump-start economic development, and its footprint will consume parts of historic Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance. "Not only are public lands being given to a private entity but the public will pay to have Cornell Drive closed and Stony Island Avenue and Lake Shore Drive widened," at an estimated cost to taxpayers of more than $100 million, the faculty wrote in a letter.

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The signers include such luminaries as Neil Harris, a history professor emeritus, divinity professor Wendy Doniger and political scientist Charles Lipson.

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"We are concerned that rather than becoming a bold vision for urban living in the future it will soon become an object-lesson in the mistakes of the past," the group wrote. "We urge the Obama Foundation to explore alternative sites on the South Side that could be developed with more economic benefits, better public transportation, and less cost to taxpayers. We would be pleased to support the Obama Center if the plan genuinely promoted economic development in our neighborhoods and respected our precious public urban parks."

University of Chicago professors : for the status quo in Chicago.