in Woodlawn. The agreement, worked out with residents and the local alderman, will also provide up to $20,000 in funding for home improvement work to some homeowners." Those who favor this project see it as a huge investment in the South Side, with the new public library branch, as well as the Obama Presidential Center itself, immediate benefits in jobs and when the project is completed it is expected to be a draw for tourists as well as an asset to the people in the neighborhood. They anticipate construction beginning in August 2021. Opponents appealed the plans, but lost in a federal court. They then appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in August 2021 refused to block the construction. Site construction began in August and a formal groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 28, 2021. See also Presidential Records Act References External links Barack Obama Presidential Library Builder website for the Obama Center Obama Barack Obama Presidential museums in Illinois Proposed buildings and structures in Illinois Museums in Chicago Tourism in Chicago University of Chicago South Side, Chicago Proposed museums in the United States