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The project has gained Chicago City Council approval, many of the architectural drawings of the Obama Presidential Center have been drafted and refined and a collective of contractors has been hired to build the campus.

But nearly four years after the $500 million project to be constructed in Jackson Park was first announced, no new date for a groundbreaking has been set, and there’s no updated time frame for when the campus will open.

The pause in progress on the Obama center is related, in part, to a federal review process that has dragged on and at some points completely stalled.

The starts and stops have frustrated both supporters and critics of the project because it has left stakeholders uncertain about what is coming next, and it’s unclear exactly when the center will be built. It’s also been challenging for residents to remain engaged, since it often seems like nothing is happening, organizers said.

“It’s been frustrating,” said Erin Adams, a South Shore resident with South Side Neighbors For Hope, a community group that is supportive of the project. “This is the first time I’ve been involved in this type of process. This could be normal, but it seems like it’s taking a long time.”