OPC Plan Use Agreement Moves to City Council

The Obama Foundation presented their Plan Use Agreement to the Housing and Real Estate Committee of the City Council yesterday. Nearly thirty community members showed up to express their overwhelming support for the OPC. A list of people and the organizations they represented in almost three hours of testimony are listed below. Much of this testimony included beautifully worded, passionate statements (including some from the aldermen) that

reflected the hope that the OPC represents for the southside. Another poignant theme was repeated in several of the testimonials, that children presented with the idea of the OPC thought that it would be situated in downtown, because they could not fathom that such a beautiful building could be placed close to their neighborhood. Let's teach them that they deserve this and so much more! The Committee voted unanimously in favor of advancing the Foundation's Use Agreement to a meeting of the full City Council on October 31st. Hurray!

People presenting testimony are listed below; there were 13 others who came to show their support but time did not allow them to speak:

Dr. Glenda Glover – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated

Leon Finney – The Woodlawn Organization

Lesle Honore – KLEO Community Family Life Center in South Side

Melody Spaan Cooper – WVON Radio

Marcus Betts – UIC

Billy Moore – Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)

Elizabeth Gardner – Woodlawn Community Summit

Tasha Cruzat – Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Na’Tae Thompson – Parent, Founder Truestar Foundation

Erin Adams – University of Chicago Professor and Southside Neighbors for HOPE

Diane Burnham – South East Chicago Commission

Louise McCurry – Jackson Park Advisory Council

Eric Reaves – 53rd Street Business Association

Sharon Lewis – South Shore resident, South Shore Cultural Center Advisory Council

Robert Emmons – One Goal