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BARACK OBAMA HAS unveiled the vision for his presidential library in Chicago, a modern, $500-million project he hopes will be a training ground for future leaders housed in the city that launched his career.
Speaking on the city’s south side near the centre’s future site, the former President Obama revealed drawings and a 3D rendering of a three-structure complex with a public plaza and surrounding park land near the shores of Lake Michigan.
The site is slated to be upwards of 225,000 square feet in size and house a library, museum and forum – as well as classrooms, meeting spaces, a community garden and a recreational area.
The goal was to “create an institution that will train the next generation of leadership,” Obama told a packed audience. ”So that they can take up the torch and lead the process of change in the future.”
Private donations will fund the institution and construction could take four years, though Obama said programming could begin as soon as this year.
To jump-start that effort the former president announced he and his wife had donated $2 million (€1.8 million) to a Chicago summer jobs programme with the aim of revitalising communities that will neighbor his centre’s campus.
He noted the midwestern city’s reputation for violence – particularly in the downtrodden neighborhoods surrounding the library’s site – saying he hoped the future institution could provide a revitalizing space for locals.
Obama, formerly a community organiser in Chicago, said the center could also help redevelop struggling neighborhoods by encouraging new business and tourism.
The complex will be the latest addition to a national network of presidential libraries – but one the first African-American president hopes will be less of a monument than a forward-looking, living institution.
“We don’t want to see some big building that’s dead,” Obama said.
What we wanted was something that was alive, and that was a hub for activity for the community, for the city, and for the country.
He highlighted plans for barbecue grills, a spot for winter sledding and a lookout point featuring sweeping views of the lake and skyline.
He also playfully emphasized the importance of an area for basketball, a sport for which his love is well-known.
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If I hear anyone else say “life style choice” in relation to social welfare, I swear to God I wont be responsible!!!
The other thing that I m tired of hearing is “we need to reduce social welfare to motivate people to go back to work” Our TDs receive over €2500 pay per week, plus expenses, free transport etc and they are spending their time on how to cut child welfare by €10 and the dole by €8. Those who profit most from Irelands wealth are mostly tax exiles and pay nothing at all …is something wrong here?? Should we not be “motivating” those who earn €1 million plus to be paying their fair share?
I “live” on Social Welfare. Yes you could say it is a “lifestyle choice”. I have cardiac artery disease, diabetes and arthritis, and am on Disability Allowance. I get the same amount to exist on as someone trying to find a job. It is not a lot. In fact it is not enough. Do our T.D.s know or care? I think not. Would they do anything if they did know?
NO! Because they are not concerned about how ordinary people get by.
Oh Sugar !!
this country has thee most disconected politicians in relation to real life and how we cope and live with the decisions they make.
living on social welfare is a great lifestyle choice, i do it all the time :-P
It is an absolute disgrace what happened to Fr Kevin Reynolds and I am happy for him that his name was cleared. Why the hell won’t Dev jnr respect this mans wishes and those of Fr. Reynolds legal team?
Before cutting social welfare for single mothers, can we please first have a National plan to provide community childcare to every family? Community Childcare workers do a great job but when they have to be closed during school holidays, what’s the point?
Believe it or not, not every child in this country has a granny who can take over during school holidays.
Am I the only person who thinks the defamation by autocomplete thing is stupid? It would be like punishing a news reporter for reporting the news. It happened and people were looking up the recievership online to find out information about it so google took a popular term being used and suggested it as a search item. Google simpley did what it’s supposed to do, help people find information online in a quick manner by streamlining what is relevent to what people wanted at that time.
If the term “receivership” is now considered pejorative then google in Ireland had better beware, as the number of businesses in that situation is more likely to grow than shrink.
have your say