If Chicago wants to stake claim to President Obama’s presidential library and museum, it will have to step up its game, as sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times that the city’s two bids might be in jeopardy.
A source close to The Barack Obama Foundation, led by Obama’s golfing partner and former campaign treasurer Marty Nesbitt, told the paper that there are “major concerns” with proposals by the University of Chicago and that “uncertainty” surrounding leadership at the University of Illinois at Chicago could scuttle its bid as well. Those problems make Columbia University in New York the favorite to land the library.
{mosads}The University of Chicago doesn’t control the land that it proposed for the site. That’s worrying the foundation, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ source.
“The city needs to solve the problem as much as the University of Chicago,” the source said.
“Clearly the city has made no secret of its determination to make sure he Obama library is in Chicago. So given that, it is not unrealistic for the foundation to believe that the city can resolve the issues in a timely fashion.”
Losing the race would be a major loss for Obama’s hometown. Presidential libraries are a big get for a city. Once a president leaves office, the library serves as a major tourist attraction and could also spur important partnerships with the university that hosts the site.
The University of Chicago told the Sun-Times that it has been working with the city to reconcile issues with land ownership. The paper previously reported that all of its sites are currently owned by the Chicago Park District.
For the University of Illinois at Chicago, its leadership told the Sun-Times that the foundation “should feel confident in the University leadership’s ongoing support,” in hopes to quell any concerns. The university will welcome a new chancellor in March.
If the concerns about the Chicago locations aren’t mollified, that leaves Columbia University, where Obama earned his undergraduate degree after transferring from Occidental College in California. Columbia reportedly has no problems with land ownership or leadership.