Barack Obama breaks ground on his presidential library in Chicago

The project will rise up in the poor South Side neighbourhood of Chicago where the former president got his start in politics.

Barack and Michelle Obama break ground for his presidential library at Jackson Park in Chicago on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

Barack Obama broke ground on Tuesday on his presidential library and centre, launching a project he said would produce the next generation of US leaders.

In the ultra-modern architectural project, three buildings will rise up in Jackson Park on the shores of Lake Michigan, in a poor South Side neighbourhood of Chicago where Mr Obama got his start in politics as a community organiser and where his wife, Michelle, grew up.

The Obama Presidential Centre will feature a hexagonal-shaped museum, an athletic centre, a forum building, a public plaza, a play area and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.

The museum’s exhibits will tell the story of Mr Obama’s political career, from his arrival in Chicago to his two terms as the US’s 44th — and first black — president, from 2009 to 2017.

“We want this centre to be more than a static museum or a source of archival research. It won’t just be a collection of campaign memorabilia, or Michelle’s ball gowns, although I know everybody will come see those,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony.

He said the centre would “empower the next generation of leaders, not just in government and public service, but also those who intend to bring about change through the arts, or journalism, or want to start businesses that are inclusive, socially responsible, and responsible and responsive to the challenges of our time.”

Construction for the centre began in August, despite lawsuits against its being built in Jackson Park. No date has been given for completion.

AFP