Trump-appointed Supreme Court judge rejects bid to stop Obama library being built

The opposition group wants the library moved to protect a local park

Construction crews tear up the turf field and track in Jackson Park starting construction on The Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Monday 16 August 16 2021. (AP)

An attempt to stop the construction of an Obama Foundation library in a park in Chicago was rejected by conservative US Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Ms Barrett rejected a complaint from Chicago-based organisations and individuals that opposed the construction on the grounds that it would disrupt a local park.

The conservative Supreme Court handles emergency issues arising from Illinois.

The group and individuals opposed to the construction claim that state and local governments overstepped their legal authority to segment Jackson Park into smaller pieces in order to bypass the need for a full environmental impact report.

They also said that the government entities ignored a list of alternative sites that the group provided for the location of the library.

According to The Hill, Michael Rachlis, the co-counsel for the petitioners, said in a statement that the organisations would continue to fight the construction in lower courts.

"Today's Supreme Court decision is disappointing, but not surprising. We still believe that preserving the status quo is fundamental to preventing irreparable harm in Jackson Park. Nonetheless, our core arguments seek to protect the long-term environmental and historical resources in Jackson Park, and we look forward to presenting our evidence and these arguments in the appellate and district court in the coming weeks,” Mr Rachlis said.

A spokesperson for the Obama Foundation praised the court's decision.

"We greatly appreciate the continued support of our project and process by the courts, including now from the highest court in the land," the spokesperson said.

The high court’s decision came after the groups were rejected by a lower court and a previous failure at the Supreme Court.

The library will be called the Obama Presidential Centre and will include a museum, library, gardens and a playground.

The spokesperson said that construction on the library began on Monday, the same day the Supreme Court rejected the complaint.

The activists opposing the project said they have faced scorn for standing against the library.

"It's been hard opposing Barack Obama," activist Brenda Nelms told Politico. "It's caused all kinds of name calling."

The group has been accused of trying to sow division over the park, which is slated to be built on a space that bridges the city's mostly white North Side and mostly Black South Side.

The activists reject that characterisation, insisting that they simply want to protect the park.

"Our goal is simple: ensuring everyone has access to a healthy environment and ensuring that development projects no longer benefit only a powerful few but are designed to empower the collective," the group said in a statement.