Yeah, $700M for the core/shell of Obama library. but that does not include the cost of building out the interior exhibits and collections ($90M) or all the infrastructure going on around it. All told, it's likely they will spend more than $1B in Jackson Park.
The
bid tab for the Van Buren project shows they only got one bid, from FH Paschen. Other Metra Electric station projects had
4-5 bids. So basically everyone took a pass on this project because it was too risky, and the one GC who did submit a bid just decided to price in all the risk.