The moment Chicago has been waiting nearly a decade for has arrived: The Obama Presidential Center opens today in Jackson Park.

Why it matters: It's a full-circle moment for Barack and Michelle Obama, who began their public lives as community organizers and are now opening a permanent civic institution in the same city that shaped them.

The latest: A star-studded lineup of former presidents, dignitaries and entertainers will gather at the center's John Lewis Plaza at 11am today for the grand opening. Watch the livestream here.

• The center opens to the public on Friday.

Context: It was 2021 when former President Obama, Michelle Obama, Gov. JB Pritzker and then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot broke ground on the sprawling campus on the west side of Jackson Park.

• "It's about reimagining this beautiful park," Michelle Obama said at that groundbreaking. "It's about making it a place that welcomes people in, and not just folks from around the world, but families like mine who live right down the street."

Zoom out: The opening caps a yearslong effort marked by lawsuits, neighborhood debate, construction delays and soaring costs. The original cost projections were around $350 million, but due to construction delays and design changes, the privately funded center ended up costing about $850 million.

Reality check: The center sits adjacent to the Woodlawn neighborhood, and some residents are worried that economic activity will end up pricing lower-income neighbors out of the area.

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Security checkpoints, street closures and even restricted airspace will be enforced today around the OPC as the Secret Service and Chicago police prepare for thousands of high-profile visitors.

The latest: Fences and concrete barriers have been set up around the center, closing sidewalks and restricting parking. Several streets around the center in Hyde Park, Woodlawn and South Shore are either closed or being redirected.

• Midway Plaisance, which will be hosting a watch party, will have several parking restrictions.
• You can find all the details on the city's website.

Zoom in: The Secret Service says it is treating the opening ceremony similarly to other major national events, like political conventions or elections.

• They will dispatch drones above with a temporary flight restriction in place during the ceremony, so no airplanes or unauthorized drones will be allowed in the area, according to the Secret Service's James Morley.

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Stand-up comedian Tom Dreesen died at the age of 86. The Chicago-born performer was the opening act for Frank Sinatra for 13 years. (CBS 2)

🚍 City Council yesterday approved the purchase of the South Loop Greyhound station, passed tougher penalties for reselling stolen airbags and introduced proposals to rename Wabash Avenue Barack Hussein Obama Avenue. (Axios)

🚨 Elk Grove Village reached a $10.5 million civil settlement with the family of Jack Murray, who was fatally shot by police in 2023. Murray's family argued the 24-year-old was experiencing a mental health crisis when police killed him. (Daily Herald)

⚖️ The Department of Justice is joining a challenge against Evanston's reparations program, the first in the nation. (Tribune)

Chicagoans are already panning one part of the project: the 225-foot Museum Tower.

• Social media has roasted the design, likening it to a mausoleum, while The Guardian said it looks like "a Klingon prison."

Context: Chicago has a long history of hating new architecture before eventually embracing it.

• Consider the Picasso in Daley Plaza. When it was first unveiled in 1967, one alderman was so disgusted by its shape and style that he petitioned Mayor Richard J. Daley to replace it with a statue of Ernie Banks.
• Today, it would likely cause a riot if the Picasso was removed.
• The Thompson Center's modernist glass design was panned when it opened; so was the sleek McCormick Place. Even Cloud Gate, aka "The Bean," had mixed reviews when it was introduced in 2004.

Between the lines: While reactions vary, one thing is undeniable: The Obama Museum Tower is audacious. In a city famous for architectural experimentation, it looks like nothing else.

The bottom line: If Chicago's history is any guide, today's punchline may become tomorrow's civic treasure.

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👋🏻 Hi, it's Carrie.

For months, I had seen little reveals here and there of the artists whose work would fill the OPC.

• Many of the most well-known names on the international scene are on display, but also Chicago artists who have dedicated their careers to creating stunning public art around the city.

What to expect: It would be nearly impossible to have a conversation about contemporary Chicago artists without including the late, great sculptor Richard Hunt, whose instantly recognizable bronze statue "Book Bird" sits next to the new Chicago Public Library on the campus.

• The Obamas commissioned Hunt to create a work for the center very early on, and "Book Bird" became Hunt's final work before he died in 2023.

Artist Mark Bradford isn't a Chicagoan, but his massive "City of the Big Shoulders" work, spanning multiple stories, captures the panoramic east-to-west view of our city — lake, land, life.

Zoom in: One of my favorite parts of the museum is the display of Michelle's clothes. Fashion is, of course, art, and the first lady knew the power of style, tapping into emerging designers the world now knows about because of her.

The bottom line: You know how every year the former president drops his favorite music, books and film list and everyone pays attention?

• In a way, the museum is the Obamas' list of contemporary artists to watch. Pay attention.

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👋 Hey, it's Justin. Today's quiz is all about the Obamas.

• Last week, we had a couple of winners in our 1996 quiz. Congrats to Matt R., John R., Alex P., John Z., Ray S., Andrew C., Stephen R. and Jackie W.

Take the Obamas quiz here