The Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center is under construction at 6121 South Stony Avenue in the Woodlawn Community Area. The two-story athletic and event facility occupies the southwest corner of the sprawling construction site in Jackson Park, just west of Wooded Island and its West Lagoon. Moody Nolan designed the building for The Obama Foundation. Elevated Design Builders, a team formed by BOWA Construction and AECOM/Hunt, is the general contractor.
Home Court rendering via The Obama Presidential Center
The view from Wooded Island. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The facility will most notably contain a regulation NBA-sized basketball court surrounded by spectator seating, including mezzanine seating for an elevated view of the action, and practice courts. Spaces will be available for visitors to engage in fitness and social activities, including banquets and meetings. Programming will be catered towards youths as well as adults.
Museum Tower at left, Home Court at right. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The Museum Tower in the background. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
A caisson permit was issued by the City of Chicago for Home Court on December 23 of last year. The full building permit was issued on September 26 of this year. Now, structural steel and concrete have risen above street level just inside the construction fencing along Stony Island.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Looking north from the football field and track immediately south of the Presidential Center. Photo by Daniel Schell
From the football field and track immediately south of the Presidential Center. Photo by Daniel Schell
According to The Obama Foundation’s website, Home Court will be the first facility at the Presidential Center ready for the public to visit, with an anticipated opening in late 2025.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Public transit options are plentiful for reaching the Obama Center. Stops for CTA bus Routes 2, 6, 15, 28, 59, 63, 171, and 172 are all within a two-block walk of Jackson Park. The Metra Electric train has stations at 59th Street and 63rd Street, with the South Shore Line also stopping at 63rd.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Beautiful addition to the campus. Well done. It’s taking parkland, but it’s placing a great facility on it that will serve the community and bring more visitors to what was an underutilized space.
Curt Moody, the founder of Moody Nolan (the largest African American architectural firm in the country), passed away recently. Worth the read:
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2024/10/14/curt-moody-moody-nolan-inc-architecture-firm-dies/75678171007/