"832 E. 57th St. is one of a number of vacant buildings the University owns that will be taken down to allow for expansion of the medical and biological research campus," Jeremy Manier, news director at the University of Chicago, wrote in a email to Mother Jones. "The University's permit request currently is under review by the city. Recent media reports that have speculated on other potential uses of the property are inaccurate."

And on Wednesday night, White House press secretary Jay Carney weighed in via Twitter, mocking the Daily Mail:

To those chasing the @mailonline "scoop" about alleged Obama library parking lot - stand down. The report is false. Shocking, I know.
— Jay Carney (EOP) (@PressSec) January 30, 2013

So there you go. The Great Obama Library Parking Lot Scandal of 2013 is just one more Obama-related rumor among conservative circles that completely falls apart the moment you bother to make a short phone call.