Architect Offers a Rendering of Clinton Library
Declaring that he is drawing inspiration from the libraries of his predecessors, President Clinton thanked dozens of friends Saturday for supporting his planned library in Little Rock, Ark.
On hand at the White House to celebrate progress on the Clinton Presidential Center were the project’s architect, James Polshek; its chief fund-raiser, Terence McAuliffe; and Skip Rutherford, a Little Rock businessman who is coordinator for the center, which will cost from $125 million to $150 million, almost all of it from private donations.
To laughter, Clinton told the audience of longtime associates packed into the Roosevelt Room along with his wife and daughter that he has visited or examined plans of all 10 existing presidential libraries and “tried to lift some of their best ideas.”
Polshek unveiled a rendering showing an elevated exhibit and library center--a very thin structure looking out over the Arkansas River from the historic section of downtown Little Rock.
A 27-acre riverfront park is to include areas for theaterical and musical performances. An adjacent historic train station is to be restored to house the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, a master’s degree program.
Acquisition of land for the library project by the city of Little Rock has been delayed by a dispute over financing of the purchase.
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