Obama invites bids for library

President Obama’s foundation announced Thursday it was soliciting initial bids from cities and universities interested in hosting the Obama presidential library.

The request marked the first chance for parties to formally signal their interest in the library, which is expected to be a multimillion-dollar project and serve as a tourist attraction for years to come.

{mosads}After parties submit logistical, financial and organizational information, the foundation will narrow down the bids to a group of finalists. Those institutions will provide comprehensive proposals for review by the president and his top advisers.

“Our goal is to build a library of which the whole country, and hopefully the whole world, can be proud,” said Marty Nesbitt, Obama’s personal friend and a co-chair of the foundation, in a statement. “Our vision is to create a space that reflects President Obama’s values and priorities throughout his career in public service and serves as force for good in the surrounding community and throughout our world.”

The University of Chicago, where Obama taught law, and where first lady Michelle Obama worked as a hospital administrator, is widely thought to have the inside track on a bid. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the president’s former chief of staff, is expected to spearhead the bid, which might also include other Chicagoland universities.

“We are going to run a process. But my goal is to have the City of Chicago, with its major educational institutions, have a single proposal,” Emanuel told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Hawaii, where Obama was born, is also expected to mount a competitive bid.

The initial proposals to host the library are due by June 16, and will be evaluated on a variety of factors, including site details and transportation access. The committee will decide on finalists later this summer, with a site expected to be selected by “early 2015.”