Obama center community benefits agreement gains traction as Jackson Park site controversy continues

Chicago Reporter ^ | 11/21/19 | Curtis Black

[Libloather]

In what one community leader called a “breakthrough,” the city’s law department will meet with aldermanic sponsors of a community benefits agreement for the area around the proposed Obama Presidential Center in order to iron out legal issues with their proposed ordinance.

The city’s housing department agreed to facilitate the process at a meeting of community stakeholders Tuesday after members of the Obama CBA Coalition held a prayer vigil outside the meeting, said Alex Goldenberg, executive director of Southside Together Organizing for Power and a coalition leader.

Goldenberg said he hopes legal guidance on the ordinance from city attorneys will help shape deliberations of the Woodlawn housing working group, which has been meeting for several weeks under the housing department’s aegis.

As proposed by aldermen Leslie Hairston (5th) and Jeanette Taylor (20th), the CBA ordinance would require that 30% of housing development be affordable when city assistance is involved, or when demolition or “substantial rehab” takes place, and would give tenant groups first right of refusal in the sale of multifamily buildings. It would also dedicate city-owned vacant land for affordable housing and establish a community trust fund that would support property tax relief and other affordable housing strategies.

[Libloather]

Meanwhile, controversy over siting the OPC in Jackson Park continues unabated – highlighted last month when about two dozen members of Protect Our Parks tied red ribbons around hundreds of trees that would be removed under current plans. Obama center supporters went behind them and removed the ribbons, the Hyde Park Herald reported.

Hussein is more important than the planet?

[mrsmith]

Obama’s masters; “Offer the little people this...”

[piasa]

Southside Together Organizing for Power

Ever notice with Democrats, from the days they were slave owners until today where they still own people, that they are just infatuated with raw power? It's because everything they want to do involves forcing someone against their will to participate or submit.

[Lurkinanloomin]

The Kenyan from Indonesia deserves prison time, not a monument to himself.

[jmacusa]

Barack Obama aka Slappy The Bong Weasel just can’t get enough of preening over himself.

[VTenigma]

So now the “Obama library” is in the “ if we can’t make this happen we need to start the payoffs stage”.

[ridesthemiles]

A PRAYER VIGIL for OBAMA?

What a travesty