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Originally Posted by chrisvfr800i
Speaking of MSI, there was a time when that museum was Chicago's biggest tourist attraction, right? It's a great institution, but it's difficult to point to ways it "helped the neighborhood" the way it's suggested the Obama center will. It draws tons of tourists straight down Lake Shore Drive....and straight back up when they leave.
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MSI is in Hyde Park which hasn't really needed help in a long time. Obama Library would be in Woodlawn which does need help. The easiest way how it helps is actually employing people who live in the general area. This is the easiest way to begin to improve someone's economic situation. I think they've talked about this before, and I think their plans for Chicago for the south side specifically are a bit more than this. If you want to help any neighborhood though, you start with getting people in that neighborhood some more jobs, which is what this can easily do.
What needs to happen near the Obama Library is that they need to put some places to eat. People love getting food after being somewhere for a few hours. I'm not saying it's going to get people hanging out in Woodlawn, but guaranteed it will get many people to spend a little more money and time in the area after (or maybe before). A neighborhood changing is a much bigger thing and a lot harder, but at least start with getting people some jobs who need it.