Clinton Presidential Center

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William J. Clinton Presidential Library
Bill Clinton Library Adam Crain Archipreneur.jpg
Rear (east) view of the main building at night
Clinton Presidential Center is located in Arkansas
Location 34°44′47″N 92°15′30″W / 34.746433°N 92.258463°W / 34.746433; -92.258463 (William J. Clinton Presidential Library)Coordinates: 34°44′47″N 92°15′30″W / 34.746433°N 92.258463°W / 34.746433; -92.258463 (William J. Clinton Presidential Library)
Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA
Construction start December 5, 2001
Dedicated November 18, 2004
Named for William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton
Architect Polshek Partnership
Size 152,000 square feet (14,100 m2)
Cost $165 million USD
Management National Archives and Records Administration
Website http://clintonpresidentialcenter.org

The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park is located in Little Rock, Arkansas and includes the Clinton Presidential Library, the offices of the Clinton Foundation, and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, established by Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. It is the thirteenth presidential library to have been completed in the United States.[1]

It is situated on a 17 acres (69,000 m2) site located next to the Arkansas River and Interstate 30, and was designed by architectural firm Polshek Partnership, LLP with exhibition design by Ralph Appelbaum Associates.[2] The main building cantilevers over the Arkansas River, echoing Clinton's campaign promise of "building a bridge to the 21st century".[3] While the physical building is the second-largest presidential library after the Ronald Reagan Library, the archives of the Clinton Library are the largest, containing 2 million photographs, 80 million pages of documents, 21 million e-mail messages, and 79,000 artifacts from the Clinton presidency.[4] It is also the most expensive, with all of the funding came from private donations.[5] The museum showcases artifacts from Clinton's term and includes full-scale replicas of the Clinton-era Oval Office and Cabinet Room.

Contents

[edit] Complex

[edit] Main building

The main gallery, in the interior of the main building, is modeled after the Long Room

The five-story main building is comprised of 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of exhibition space, the Great Hall (used for banquets or forums), Café 42 (now a full-service restaurant named "Forty Two"; Clinton was the 42nd president of the U.S.), gift shop, and classrooms. A 2,000 square feet (190 m2) executive apartment used by Clinton is located on the top (fifth) floor of the main building, one level above the public museum area. The organization of the exhibits within the main building was inspired by the famous Long Room in the Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin.[3] The Cadillac One used during Clinton's presidency is housed on the first floor. On the second floor, the main gallery houses a 110-foot-long (33.5 m) time line. representing each of Clinton's years as President. It also features an 80-seat theater, the Great Hall, and the replicas of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room.[5] The café is located in the basement of the building.[3]

[edit] Clinton Presidential Park

The Clinton Presidential Park occupies 30 acres of land and is located on the riverfront, next to the museum.[3] It is a leading example of urban renewal. The park was built next to the site of abandoned railroad tracks of the defunct Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The center of the park is Celebration Circle, a plaza around which the Center's major buildings are located.[3] It also includes an arboretum, amphitheater, gardens, and a children's play area.[5]

[edit] Choctaw Station

Choctaw Station is a restored historic redbrick train station. It houses the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, the Clinton Public Policy Institute, and the Clinton Foundation. The station is 13,200 square feet (1,230 m2) (after its renovation).[3]

[edit] Archives

The archives building (in the background)

The archives are housed in a building south of and connected to the main building, which also contains NARA facilities.[3]

[edit] Bridge

The bridge before restoration

The 1899 Rock Island Railroad Bridge across the Arkansas River, originally leading to Choctaw Station, is in the process of being converted into a pedestrian bridge connecting to North Little Rock, although the $10.5 million project has been delayed several times. On the five-year anniversary of the library's opening, Clinton said that construction on the project would begin in 2010, but full funding had not yet been secured.[6][7] The Clinton Foundation had originally planned to renovate the bridge for $4 million in exchange for a $1-a-year land lease from the state. In 2009, Arkansas governor Mike Beebe agreed to use $2.5 million of stimulus funds to fund part of the renovation. A previous $8 million earmark for the project had failed to pass the state legislature.[8]

[edit] Store

For legal reasons involving state development funds, retail facilities were prohibited on the same property as the library itself. The Clinton Museum Store is located in the nearby River Market district.[9]

[edit] History

[edit] Construction

Clinton took a great interest in the library, and preliminary planning for the library began in 1997, while groundbreaking for the complex occurred on December 5, 2001.[2][10][3] The project cost $165 million in private funding with an additional $11 million land donated by the city of Little Rock to construct and covers 152,000 square feet (14,100 m2) within a 28-acre (113,000 m²) park.[5][4]

[edit] Donation controversy

On January 20, 2001, his last day in office, Clinton pardoned former financier Marc Rich, who had been charged with multiple counts of racketeering, wire fraud, income tax evasion, and illegal oil trading. Rich's wife, Denise Eisenberg Rich, was reported to have made three donations totaling nearly $1,000,000 to Clinton's presidential library fund, as well as multiple other contributions to the Democratic party and Hillary Rodham Clinton's senate campaign. It was later found that she only made three payments totaling $450,000 to the fundraiser. The Senate Judiciary Committee was investigating the pardon and issued subpoenas for Denise Rich's bank records because she refused to testify before the House Government Reform Committee, in accordance with her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[11][12] U.S. attorney Mary Jo White also launched a criminal investigation into whether the pardon had been a result of the contributions. It was later claimed that Rich had donated the funds months before asking for a pardon.[13] Clinton maintained that the pardon had not been "bought", but had been based instead on the legal merits of Marc Rich's appeal.[14]

[edit] Dedication

The Clinton Presidential Center was dedicated on November 18, 2004. Although it was raining, the ceremony was attended by approximately 30,000 people (including notable figures such as Willie Mays, Holly Robinson Peete, and Vernon Jordan) and included a 20-minute speech made by Clinton, who had recently undergone bypass surgery. It also included performances by Bono, the African Drum Ballet and the Philander Smith Collegiate Choir, as well as an invocation given by Floyd Flake and video tribute from Nelson Mandela. The dedication ceremony was the first time that four U.S. presidents (other than Clinton, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and George H. Bush all attended; [[Gerald R. Ford could not due to health concerns) were on the same stage at the same time.[15] All three other presidents spoke at the event as well.[5][16]

[edit] Anniversary

On November 17, 2009, the library's five-year anniversary was celebrated. At the event, Clinton gave a speech to approximately 1,000 people, urging the nation to pass health-care reform and reduce energy use.[17][7]

[edit] Design

A view of the glass screen on the main building's western face

[edit] General design

The primarily modernist complex was designed by James Polshek's Polshek Partnership Architects, led by Polshek and partner Richard Olcott.[4] The museum and exhibitions were designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, with landscaping by Hargreaves associates.[3] Clinton did not announce his choice of architect until 1999, when Polshek was officially hired that August.[18]

It is constructed primarily of steel and glass.[5] The main building is based on the diagonal truss. Originally, the museum was planned parallel to the river, but was quickly changed so it would lie perpendicular to the river, for the purpose of providing a better view to visitors. The western façade of the museum is a screen wall composed of laminated glass tiles, providing a sunscreen for the building. The underside is constructed of aluminum.[4][3]

Some critics dislike the bridge design, saying it looks too much like a trailer on stilts.[12]

[edit] Environment

The library incorporates many aspects of environmentally-sensitive design, in accordance to Clinton's work involving sustainable development. It first earned a Silver LEED certification under the USGBC's LEED-NC (new construction) program in 2004 and later Platinum Certification under LEED-EB (existing buildings) in 2007.[19] The library's flooring is made of recycled rubber tires and there are charging stations for electric vehicles in the parking lot. In 2007, a garden was established on the library's roof, in addition to existing solar panels. The garden collects runoff and is maintained without the use of gasoline-powered lawn mowers and chemical pesticides or fertilizers.[20]

[edit] Economic impact

[edit] Pre-construction

After the location for the project was announced, many new businesses began to develop in the surrounding area. Numerous hotels, restaurants, housing complexes, offices, retail stores were established. The revived River Market district, a dining and retail area near the library, was created as a result of its location. In addition, over $1 billion of new real estate has been invested in downtown Little Rock. The world headquarters of Heifer International is located just beyond the library.[21][4]

[edit] Tourism

The center has spurred an estimated $2 billion in new projects in the surrounding parts of Little Rock. Since its opening, the library has had over 1.64 million visitors. The museum had 302,583 visitors in 2009 and 273,108 visitors in 2008. There were approximately 500,000 visitors during its first year (November 2004–5).[21]

[edit] Gallery

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Entrance sign, at night

U.S. Presidents (from left), George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter at the dedication

Exterior at night

The northwest end of the main building

The southwest end of the main building

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Clinton presidential library opens in Arkansas". Xinhua News Agency. 18 November 2004. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/18/content_2235375.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  2. ^ a b Van Natta, Jr, Don (28 June 1999). "Dinner for a Presidential Library, Contributions Welcome". The New York Times Company. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/28/us/dinner-for-a-presidential-library-contributions-welcome.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Polshek Partnership, LLP (2008). William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park (9908) (2nd ed.). Polshek Partnership LLP. ISBN 0-9772502-1-0.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kamin, Blair (14 November 2004). "A new chapter". Chicago Tribune. http://www.dailypress.com/topic/chi-041114clintonlibrary-story,0,4802806.story. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f Chappell, Kevin (December 13, 2004). "Blacks join Clinton for his presidential library opening in Arkansas". Jet, pp. 4–18.
  6. ^ "Work begins on second pedestrian bridge at LR, in River Market". The Associated Press. 20 June 2007. http://www.fox16.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=a3921c25-b6d2-47fe-9e5b-30c9f4ca1665. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 
  7. ^ a b "Ex-president urges health reform, less energy use". The Associated Press. 18 November 2009. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuar/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1579616/KUAR.Features/Ex-president.urges.health.reform..less.energy.use. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  8. ^ "THE DAILY OUTRAGE: Clinton library bailout?". The Washington Newspaper Publishing Company LLC. 7 October 2009. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/daily-outrage/Clinton-library-bailout_-8351625-63633632.html. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  9. ^ "Clinton Museum Store opens in Little Rock". The Dallas Morning News Co. 21 November 2001. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=106846069169CC66&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  10. ^ "Clinton Presidential Library Opens Today". The Washington Post Company. 18 November 2004. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58784-2004Nov17.html. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  11. ^ "Rich's '$450,000' for Clinton library". BBC. 10 February 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1163917.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  12. ^ a b Leigh Cowan, Alison (9 February 2001). "Ex-Wife of Pardoned Financier Pledged Money to Clinton Library". The New York Times Company. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/09/us/ex-wife-of-pardoned-financier-pledged-money-to-clinton-library.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  13. ^ "U.S. attorney launches criminal probe of Rich pardon". Cable News Network LP, LLLP. 14 February 2001. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/02/14/pardon.hearing.03/index.html. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  14. ^ Judd, Jackie; Ruppe, David (10 February 2001). "Denise Rich Gave $450,000 to Clinton Library". ABC News Internet Ventures. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=121842&page=2. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  15. ^ Newman, Maria (18 November 2004). "Thousands Attend Dedication of Clinton's Presidential Library". The New York Times Company. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/politics/18cnd-clin.html. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  16. ^ "Clinton library open for business". BBC. 18 November 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4021201.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-18. 
  17. ^ "Ex-president to mark Clinton library 5th birthday". The Associated Press. 18 November 2009. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuar/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1579384/Arkansas.Headlines/Ex-president.to.mark.Clinton.library.5th.birthday. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  18. ^ McGuigan, Cathleen (13 September 2004). "Bill's New Bridge". Newsweek, Inc. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-121716746/bill-new-bridge-clinton.html. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  19. ^ "Clinton Presidential Library Earns a LEED for Existing Buildings Platinum Rating". Green Progress. 14 November 2007. http://www.greenprogress.com/green_building_article.php?id=1392. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 
  20. ^ "Clinton presidential library builds 'green' roof". The Associated Press. 19 November 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21871320/. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  21. ^ a b "5 Years Later, Clinton Center Anchors Little Rock". The Associated Press. 18 November 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/17/travel/main5688746.shtml. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 34°44′47″N 92°15′30″W / 34.746433°N 92.258463°W / 34.746433; -92.258463

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