President Clinton dedicated the William J. Clinton Presidential Library on November 18, 2004. President Clinton's promise to "build a bridge to the 21st century," serves as the inspiration for the steel frame and glass structure positioned parallel to the historic Rock Island railroad bridge and cantilevered over the edge of the Arkansas River. "What [the library] is to me is the symbol of not only what I tried to do, but what I want to do with the rest of my life: Building bridges from yesterday to tomorrow, building bridges across racial and religious and ethnic and income and political divides – building bridges." President Clinton, William J. Clinton Presidential Library Dedication, November 18, 2004. President Clinton began his search for the future site of his Presidential Library only a year after winning the 1996 Presidential Election. In 1997, he announced that he had selected 28 acres situated on the Arkansas River, east of Interstate 30 in an undeveloped and industrial part of downtown Little Rock. Clinton hoped that the Presidential Library would spur downtown revitalization and become a statewide tourism magnet. Architect, James S. Polshek designed the 153,779 square-foot library. Other Polshek and Partners projects include the Newseum and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. President Clinton was very involved in the design of the Presidential Library that bears his name. It was important to President Clinton that his Presidential Library represent his values and passions. From our museum exhibitions to educational programming and public events, we strive to do just that. President Clinton pushed for the Clinton Center to be as sustainable as it could be, and our buildings and grounds fulfill this goal by being certified green buildings. Starting with the choice of our location on a reclaimed EPA Brownfield site, an industrial site that was too polluted for use before it was cleaned up, and because of green building practices (the separation of construction waste significantly reduced the waste sent to landfills), the use of renewable materials, as well as energy and water-saving features, the Clinton Presidential Library was awarded a LEED Silver® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating. In 2009, the Library was upgraded to the highest rating possible, Platinum. LEED Platinum Rating Preparation for Clinton Center Expansion