Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony of Chicago's former president's presidential library was overseen by the Obamas.
The library will be constructed in Chicago's Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side.
The library site will soon buzz with activity after a series construction delays.
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On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama began the groundbreaking of his presidential library at Chicago. This was his return to the city that gave rise to his meteoric rise from the Illinois legislature into the White House.
Standing in Jackson Park, the historic location of the Obama Presidential Center in the city, Michelle Obama, former president and First Lady, exalted the occasion with a few guests, including the Illinois Governor. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Obamas commented on the importance of Chicago's library construction.
Former president spoke out about how he was first exposed to public service in the city during the 1980s. He pushed for change by knocking on doors and organizing church basements.
He said, "It was in nearby neighborhoods that I started working with church groups under the shadow of closed-steel mills."
The former president stated that the library would be a record of his White House years, but the main focus will be on training future leaders and fostering ideas across all disciplines.
He stated that the center should be more than just a museum or source of archival information. "It will not be an exercise of nostalgia. We want this home to be a living and thriving place."
The former first lady was a South Side native and leaned on her roots in the area.
She said that no matter my achievements, who I've met, or where I've been, the greatest honor was being a proud Chicagoan. It is proudly worn like a crown. It runs through my veins, in this city and in this neighborhood. It is what makes me who it is."
The former president chose Jackson Park to be the location of his presidential library in 2016. This development has given life and hope to the South Side, providing them with greater economic opportunities.
The complex is estimated to cost $830 million and will take approximately five years to construct. It will include event spaces, recording studios and play spaces as well as a Chicago Public Library branch.
After a series delays, construction on the library began in August.
Protect Our Parks is a non-profit organization that opposes the construction of the library in the park. It also wants it built on a site to the west. Protect Our Parks filed an emergency motion in August asking the Supreme Court to temporarily stop construction.
The applicants claimed that the groundbreaking should have been stopped because Jackson Park's trees, which Frederick Law Olmsted designed in 1871, were important for migratory birds and raise concerns about noise pollution.
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett (who is responsible for cases in the Midwest) denied the motion and allowed construction to continue.
Obama served as an Illinois senator from 1997 to 2005 before being elected to the US Senate in 2004, just before launching his nascent presidential campaign in 2007.
He was elected the first Black American president in American history in 2008 and reelected in 2012.
The Obamas left the White House and have since devoted their time to various causes. They also launched Higher Ground Productions, a production company that has produced content for Netflix.
