Obama Presidential Center Athletics Center scores full building permit

A full building permit has been issued for the Obama Presidential Center Programs & Athletics Center. Located at 6121 S. Stony Island, the building will be located at the south end of the 19-acre Jackson Park campus. 

Designed by Moody Nolan, the Programs & Athletic Center is a 45,000 square foot facility designed as an angular massing with glass and smooth metal panels. Inside, the building will have gym facilities including a basketball court. Additionally, there will be meeting and event spaces for the community to partake in recreational- and wellness-oriented programming. 

The park surrounding the center will offer play areas, walking paths, and a sledding hill, all connected by a long pedestrian promenade that joins the center to Jackson Park and runs alongside its beautiful and historic lagoons.

With the full building permit issued, general contractor BOWA Construction can begin the project and work through completion. The facility is expected to open in 2026.