CHICAGO - The Chicago City Council has given its backing to construction of the Obama Presidential Center in a park on the city's South Side.
Loud applause came from council members after they voted 47-1 in favor of the $500 million project Wednesday. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he was going to call former President Barack Obama with the news and left the council chamber.
The project remains under federal review because the site, Jackson Park, is on the National Register of Historic Places. However, City Council approval is a major step forward.
The proposal has won widespread support in Chicago, but it has also been met with resistance from critics who oppose placing the center in a historic and popular park.
