Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

The Rundown: The Obama Center’s first 100 days

wbez.org · 2hShare

Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I’ve somehow turned into someone who (occasionally) willingly takes 6 a.m. workout classes. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Here are the Obama Presidential Center’s latest numbers, from construction price to attendance The Obama Presidential Center cost nearly $1 billion to build, according to the Obama Foundation. The exact price tag clocks in at $909 million — $59 million more than the center’s previously released figure. The amount, all privately funded, doesn’t include the $123 million in publicly paid-for infrastructure improvements made in and around the site. Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said the increase is due to “additional amenities” added to the campus, my colleague Lee Bey reports. Meanwhile, the foundation reported 175,469 ticketed patrons from 50 states and 39 countries have visited the center’s 225-foot tall granite Museum Tower since the campus, at 6001 S. Stony Island Ave., opened June 19. More than 61,000 museum visitor

First report: Obama Presidential Center's price tag: Almost $1 billion — suntimes.com, 2d