Thousands attend Obama Center opening ceremony; center opens to public Friday | LIVE Updates

Artist Theaster Gates sat down with ABC7 ahead of the opening.

The artist and University of Chicago professor was born and raised on the city's West Side. This emotional tribute blends Chicago history with his own family story.

The 175-foot frieze installation by Theaster Gates now anchors the atrium named after Hadiya Pendleton, the Chicago teenager shot and killed just days after marching in President Obama's second inaugural parade.

Artist Theaster Gates sat down with ABC7 ahead of the opening.

"Memorial is one of the ways that we grapple with the grief that we have," Gates said. "The tribute to sister Pendleton is that she is part of a web of people, women who have sacrificed their lives to gain traction for the greater good."

To honor that sacrifice, Gates looked back to his own humble beginnings on Chicago's West Side.

"My dad was a roofer," Gates said. "I decided that I would take these images from Howard Simmons and Johnson Publishing and I would overlay them with images from the roofing material that my dad had taught me to use, and that those images, combined with my dad's labor, the symbol of my dad's labor, would create this new continuous line of images of the American story or an American story."

Using art to anchor community is nothing new for Gates. He helped save a historic South Shore building from the wrecking ball and transform it into the Stony Island Arts Bank.

"You have to decide there's something you can do to make the ugly beautiful again," Gates said.

Now, with his latest work, he hopes the artwork serves as a permanent anchor for democracy, equity and reflection.

"I think great art should inspire generations," Gates said. "This building is not just about bricks and mortar, it is the possibility of capturing the truth that people's belief in voting, people's belief in equity and equality, that those things, those things need a home."

Chicago's South Side is the center of attention Thursday with the grand opening of the Obama Presidential center.

Neighbors in Jackson Park are getting ready for the thousands of people expected to be there Thursday and all weekend.

Thursday's Grand Opening ceremony starts at 11 a.m.

A VIP list of dignitaries, including former presidents and first ladies, will join the Obamas Thursday.

There's a star-studded line up including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, and U2's Bono and The Edge.

The event at the Obama Presidential Center is invite-only, but the Midway Plaisance watch party was open for the public who have tickets. Prohibited items for the watch party include coolers, drones, professional cameras, signs, hammocks and more.

Many street and sidewalk closures are already in place. Residents and visitors alike are being advised about increased traffic and should plan accordingly.

The Chicago Police Department and the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications are reminding everyone security measures are in place and may caused delays.

At several locations, there are vehicle checkpoints and anti-scale fencing as multiple former presidents and first ladies attend the ceremony, along with foreign dignitaries, congressional members, celebrities and other VIPs.

Obama Presidential Center architects sat down with ABC7's Cheryl Burton to share their vision for the Chicago museum.

The center will have its grand opening Thursday morning, and you can stream it live on ABC7 starting at 10 a.m.

Obama Presidential Center architects sat down with ABC7 to share their vision for the Chicago museum.

South Side residents and business owners are seeing more traffic, but are looking forward to the benefits of the Obama Center.

People living and working around the Obama Center have had to navigate construction over the last few years.

South Side residents and business owners are seeing more traffic, but are looking forward to the benefits of the Obama Center.

And over the next two days, getting close to the Obama Center on foot or by car will be difficult.

Due to tight security in advance of Thursday's opening ceremony, some roads and sidewalks are closed.

Stony Island from 63rd to 57th streets and the Midway Plaisance are closed all the way to Ellis Avenue for a watch party.

Some of the staff and customers of Robust Coffee Lounge on 63rd have been dealing with these temporary transit and traffic disruptions.

"Pretty difficult, it's been annoying," Woodlawn resident Terrence Smith said. "I'm grateful they are doing it; I'm supportive. But overall it's the inconvenience of travel; that's the only problem I have with it. That's it."

"I normally park on the Midway for work," Hyde Park resident Ky Cruz said. "If you go west past Ellis, it's still open, found parking today. Hopefully I can find parking tomorrow."

"We are expecting to have a lot of new customers, which is good. We are ready for them, but we are hoping it's not too hard for them to get here, to find parking," said Kenya Smith, a barista at Robust Coffee Lounge.

Some at Salonica on 57th say they have noticed the difference.

"I did notice a lot more traffic, especially on the way home. What is normally a 30-minute drive turns into almost an hour," Salonica waitress Nathalie Andrade said.

"I think the big thing is everyone is so excited about it. Even though there are too many cars and no parking, it's worth it," Hyde Park resident Gayle Altur said.

B'Gabs Comfort Cafe will make sure visitors know about their fare. They specialize in vegan and vegetarian options on 57th.

They're sending a young team to spread the word at the grand opening events.

"We are employing younger people to go out with flyers, telling them they are just two blocks aways from us, from the midway event. We are also the closest restaurant to OPC," owner Gabrielle Darvassy said.

Business owners hope visitors will stop to take advantage of local restaurants and retail for the opening weekend and for years to come.