Chicago, as expected, was named the future home of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, while Hawaii learned it would get some kind of tie-in, described at various times Tuesday as a "lasting presence," a "collaboration" and a "partnership."
What that means exactly is unclear.
"Everything is up in the air," University of Hawaii President David Lassner said.
In announcing Tuesday that the University of Chicago will host the presidential library and museum on the Windy City’s South Side, the foundation said it also plans to work with the institutions that submitted the losing bids: UH, Columbia University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"We were impressed by the quality of each proposal and, as a result, we plan to continue working with each institution to incorporate elements of their proposals into the future Obama Presidential Center," Martin Nesbitt, foundation chairman, said in a news release.
Honolulu’s Maya Soetoro-Ng, the president’s sister and a member of the foundation’s board of directors, said she was "thrilled" to announce the Hawaii connection.
"Our foundation team is excited to begin developing joint programs with the University of Hawaii and other local partners," she said in a video. "We are just starting the process of building a platform to advance the work of the president and first lady after they leave the White House. But I know I speak on behalf of my brother when I say we are so pleased that Hawaii will be a part of it. And I’m looking forward to working with everyone in Hawaii to bring this project to life."
The Hawaii Presidential Center Initiative, the local nonprofit group that has worked with UH on the proposal, is expected to form a working committee with representatives of the university and city, state and federal governments and community members to help develop the project, Hawaii officials said.
The foundation offered no timeline for when Hawaii’s part of the presidential center will be up and running.
"Their first job is to figure out how to get the edifice built in Chicago," Lassner said. He added that the university has been in touch with the foundation, and it’s clear that foundation officials want a presence in Hawaii and an ongoing relationship with UH. "We will be working with them over the next months to figure out exactly what that means," he said.
Regarding the timing, UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said to consider that Obama still has nearly two years before he leaves office and that the Bush library opened only last year.
"We may not have an idea (what Hawaii’s role will be) for months or maybe years," he said.
In December, Hawaii submitted a proposal that included an interactive museum and visitor center, plus a convening institute where world leaders could discuss global problems, a leadership academy focusing on issues related to schoolchildren, and a UH center for community organizing designed to appeal to Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago.
Eight acres of Hawaii Community Development Authority land, estimated to be worth $75 million, was set aside near the ocean in Kakaako.
On Tuesday there wasn’t much gnashing of teeth from Hawaii officials disappointed about losing out to Chicago, the town where Obama launched his career and lived before he entered the White House.
"I’m an engineer. I’m a pretty pragmatic guy. I was hoping for the best, but I was realistic in my expectations," Gov. David Ige said.
"I don’t think any of us were shocked," Lassner said.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell released a statement that said, "While we had hoped that Honolulu, the president’s hometown, would be selected to host the presidential center, we will continue to work with the Obama Foundation to find the best way for the president’s legacy to have a presence here and inspire our future generations."
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, who has been involved in Hawaii’s bid effort since 2009, congratulated the Obama Foundation on its choice of Chicago.
"I’m encouraged that the foundation has also pledged to work with Hawaii, the island home that so influenced a young Barack Obama and is so embedded in his remarkable life story," he said in a statement.
The state spent more than $500,000 pursuing the library, and Lassner praised the team that put together Hawaii’s bid.
"It was a spectacular proposal," he said. "I think there will be decades of benefit to the state as a result of putting in the proposal, getting on the radar and clearly attracting the attention of the president that he wants to do something here for his legacy."
What might the Hawaii project look like?
Lassner said he would like the Obamas to consider an initiative that looks at getting more people into college. He said the country used to lead the world in college attainment, but that isn’t the case anymore.
"The president and the first lady have a lot of interests across a spectrum of activities, and we’re excited about building that relationship for many years into the future," Lassner said.
Other topics to consider, he said, include food security, the environment, the U.S. foreign policy "pivot to Asia," community organizing and others.
"We put it out there, so now it’s a really good time for us to step back and listen," he said.
