Revised: Speculation builds over Biden presidential center site

We received a clue of sorts from a recent USA Today story, with the President saying he would like to see a center at his alma mater, the University of Delaware.

If a presidential center comes to  Newark,  it would likely be located at the STAR Campus, the one-time site of the sprawling Chrysler car and tank plant.

The beloved old campus and Green is loaded with historic buildings and limited parking. As a Land Grant university, the remaining farm fields are likely off-limits and would see spirited opposition from townies.

An item in the  UD capital budget seeking  $20 million for the Biden Center did raise some eyebrows but may be tied to ongoing renovations. UD media folks did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment.

The  Newark Post reported that the money is for a building the president's name for the social sciences.

Biden would not fully commit to Newark, knowing the hurdles that come with building presidential libraries and, more recently, centers that offer conference and exhibit space and digital documents to anyone with internet access.

Such projects are hugely expensive affairs. George W. Bush raised half a billion dollars. Barack Obama's center, when finished, could cost more than $800 million.

Also, the STAR Campus is at the site of an auto plant that the Biden-Obama administration did not attempt to reopen while playing a lead role in successfully restructuring the U.S. auto industry.

Tough decisions led to the end of GM's beloved Pontiac and Oldsmobile brands and sped up the demise many small town GM and Chrysler dealerships. Surviving was the Chevy Corvette. An older Vette is one of Biden's prized possessions.

With the help of federal and state loans that went south, Fisker made a clumsy attempt to build a hybrid at the former GM plant a short drive up 95 from STAR. That's a story for another day.

Other sites quickly popped as speculation grew this week. Given the President's deep ties to the state's largest city, Wilmington would undoubtedly be in the running.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Philadelphia is on the shortlist partly thanks to the President's close ties with the University of Pennsylvania. Penn has deep pockets and could seal the deal if it is inclined.

You also can't rule out Scranton, PA,, a city with coal mining roots where Biden was always eager to point out his working-class origins. It was also home to the TV hit The Office and has a national profile.

The former steel town of Claymont, where  Biden grew up and attended Archmere Academy,  would be a less obvious choice. Another dark horse candidate is Syracuse. Biden is a Syracuse University law grad.

Once the President leaves office, he will likely devote time to scouting sites. It won't be easy, given that presidential centers are privately financed for obvious reasons. Those in charge of the Obama Center found the going early on to be tough.

The timeline for development and construction will be long, and the sad fact is that the opening could come after Biden's passing. He's now 82.

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