Hawaii officials have three months to submit a formal bid to host Barack Obama’s future presidential library following Monday’s announcement that the University of Hawaii is one of four institutions selected to compete for the center.
"It’s fantastic. I’m so excited," said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, who is working with the university on the proposal. "We have to be part of this, whether we get all of the center or just a part."
The Barack Obama Foundation, which is developing the library for the president, announced Monday that four universities were selected from the 13 applications submitted earlier this year. Also making the cut were Columbia University in New York, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Each university was asked to submit a formal proposal by Dec. 11 that includes detail on the proposed management and organization of the project, site development plans, community partnerships, potential for academic collaboration, marketing and attraction strategy, plus information about any financial and other commitments from the host or any partners.
According to the foundation’s timeline, the proposals will be shared with the president and the first lady in early 2015 — perhaps just after the Obamas’ annual vacation in Hawaii — and the couple will then make the final decision.
"These four potential partners have come the farthest in meeting our criteria and have each demonstrated a strong vision for the future Obama Presidential Library," said Marty Nesbitt, Obama’s longtime friend and foundation chairman.
Building the library, which will house the repository for Obama’s presidential records and artifacts, is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and will serve as a permanent monument to Obama’s legacy.
In its initial "request for qualifications" in March, the foundation laid out the specifications that the National Archives and Records Administration will need to accommodate Obama’s records, including more than 20,000 cubic feet of unclassified documents, 804 cubic feet of audiovisual records and 15,000 cubic feet for artifacts — a space about as large as the Oval Office.
It also suggested that "primary" and "secondary" locations will be chosen, leaving open the possibility that some sort of multistate complex could be the ultimate outcome.
Monday’s "request for proposal" describes a multi-unit center that includes a library, museum, foundation offices, academic institute and "a broader campus."
In the 17-page document, the foundation reserves the right to enter into negotiations with one or more partners based on their responses and to request that one or more partners respond "as part of a formal solicitation process."
Hawaii officials say they are prepared to host the library in its entirety or to join with another site if the president wants to spread the project across different locations.
"We understand the realities," said Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, who has led the local effort on behalf of the Abercrombie administration. "We also know that President Clinton is in two states (Arkansas and New York)."
According to the Hawaii proposal, an 8-acre, $75 million piece of Hawaii Community Development Authority land in Kakaako makai has been preliminarily set aside for a complex that will include an interactive museum and visitor center. There will also be a presidential archive and a think tank that includes a convening institute and a global youth leadership academy.
The state Legislature has appropriated $200,000 to assist with development of the proposal.
Most of the funds to pay for the center would come from out of state, officials said. While Hawaii donors would contribute to the capital campaign, they said, most of the fundraising will be accomplished by the president’s foundation, with total fundraising expected to top $500 million.
Officials estimate that a Hawaii Obama presidential library would generate $556 million in economic activity and create 2,130 new jobs in the construction phase alone. If a museum were included, it would draw 330,000 visitors annually, making it one of Honolulu’s top five cultural attractions and one of the most visited presidential centers in the United States, according to museum consultants Lord Cultural Resources.
Caldwell said any money invested in the library complex will pay for itself.
In Monday’s document, the foundation offers a host of guiding principles that are expected to inform and reflect the vision of the presidential center. Here are a few samples:
» Tells a compelling, accurate story about the president’s life, service and vision.
» Creates a new international destination.
» Focuses on service — to visitors, local and international communities, and the nation.
» Uses collective intelligence and social media to collaborate with people.
» Fosters a climate of intellectual curiosity and openness.
Caldwell said the life of the 44th president was shaped in unique ways growing up in Hawaii. Honolulu, he said, deserves to get at least a part of the presidential complex.
Tsutsui said he looks forward to working on the project over the next three months and ultimately "submitting a great application."
Both Caldwell and Tsutsui said they are ready to collaborate with officials in Chicago or New York if that’s what’s necessary.
"Hopefully, at the end of the day, we will get to share his story," Tsutsui said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
