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Chicago, Illinois – President Obama aspires to leave a legendary landmark- Obama Presidential Center- a library located in of his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Specifically, President Obama wants this landmark to be built in Jackson Park- at the renovation of which stands to cause significant environmental damage. A parks advocacy group by the name Protect our Parks (POP), amongst other Chicago residents disagree with the placement of this $700 million library. They suggest the library be built a few miles down the road in Washington Park, but have failed to develop consensual momentum within the legal realm.
POP’s main argument is environmental. They claim that this project violates implied standards within the National Environmental Policy Act. Inclusively, they state that studies conducted by those federal agencies whom has the responsibility of ensuring less environmental damage neglected suggestions of building in places where less harm would be done. POP and its supporting advocates presume plowing of at least 1,000 trees, which would greatly reduce the community’s sustainable clean air supply. Meanwhile, The Obama Foundation claims only 350 trees would be excavated.
With the help of their Attorney Richard Epstein, the plaintiffs have progressively taken legal actions against this project starting with a lower court who denied their attempt. Eagerly, the advocates and Attorney Epstein decided to appeal at the 7th U.S. Circuit Court whom rejected their emergency motion to stay. Although rejected, the panel of judges did not provide their reasoning. Thus, the group submitted their last appeal opportunity to the Supreme Court of the United States, where Justice Amy Coney Barrett supervises the emergency affairs from the Midwest. Judge Barrett has the option of seeking counsel from the other justices, or deciding on the matter herself, and she decided to individually deny POP’s final appeal attempt on Monday August 16th.
On this very day, construction for the Presidential Center had already begun. The only renovations completed then were the insertion of fencing around the parameters of where the library will be built.
