After years of delays, the Obama Presidential Center is slated to open in June.
The former president made the announcement at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Arkansas on Monday.
It was part of a conversation with Chair Olivia Walton about the 20-acre space in Jackson Park, a historic area on Chicago’s south side.
“We want to create a campus, a place where the public gathers for a range of things that puts them face to face with each other and get them to meet and be in dialogue and conversation and exposed to new ideas with each other,” Obama said.
The $800m project was announced in 2015 and was originally slated to open in 2021, but lawsuits and federal reviews delayed construction until 2021.
A 225-foot tall museum tower is at the center of the project, which will also have a Chicago Public Library branch, recording studios, gardens and classrooms.