“The city’s position would mean the public trust doctrine is a dead letter,” Epstein said. “If the city authorizes [the project], and nothing else matters, then clearly we lose.”
He continued, “This is something that completely destroys the character of Jackson Park, and will require Jackson Park be delisted from the National Registry of Historic Places. This is a net transfer to the Obama Foundation of at least $1 billion dollars.”

Birnbaum added, “Especially now, with coronavirus, having free and open meadows in which to wander and stroll is irreplaceable. The lakefront is so cherished because you have freedom of movement, and our spiritual contact with nature is more important now than ever before. This pandemic has shown us that the best spaces are the most open.”

“We believe the parklands belong to the people of the state of Illinois, and they should be forever free and clear,” Miller, CEO of Preservation Chicago, said. “The lakefront lands are not a political tool for our politicians to give away. This is so much of what makes Chicago special and we shouldn’t squander them and pick away at them until there’s nothing left.”
The city and the Obama Foundation did not respond to requests for comment.

it's wrenching, it's a blatant land grab, but the city is run on corruption. we will see, at least the judge isn't an obomba appointee this time. and we can still pray for the rising water to submerge his arrogant unscrupulous and illegal designs.