DELAWARE — Former President Joe Biden has decided to build his presidential library in Delaware, his home state, according to a senior member of the Joe and Jill Biden Foundation. CNN reports a fundraising push for the project is expected to begin soon, with costs possibly totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
While the exact location has not yet been determined, speculation has centered on Biden’s longtime base in New Castle County. Still, we asked locals what it might mean if the library were placed in Rehoboth Beach, where the Bidens own a home and spend much of their time.
Local residents and business owners voiced mixed reactions at the possibility.
“I think it’s a great idea, it’s a beautiful beach, it’ll attract a lot of people, especially for the offseason. Jobs, the economy, that’s all we care about, good economy,” said visitor Jerry Callahan.
Yesterday Fun manager Farrah Barow echoed that sentiment, saying, “I would love for the Bidens to be here more often. And I think the presidential library being down here would be good for tourism."
Others argued the library should be built farther north, particularly with the improved infrastructure. “I think it's great. I do think it should be perhaps up in the Wilmington area where there gives a greater number of people access to see the materials, to study all the good work he's done and to review it. It's a lot easier travel,” said local resident Steven Schnepp.
Delaware’s congressional delegation welcomed the news regardless of location, praising Biden’s decision to keep the project in the First State.
“From his days in Claymont to fighting for our country as one of our greatest presidents, Joe Biden’s legacy represents the best of who we are, of deep compassion and unshakeable decency. I look forward to welcoming generations of Americans to Delaware to learn from his example of nearly fifty years of public service and allegiance to the values that make our country truly great,” Sen. Chris Coons said in a statement.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester said in a statement: “I am delighted that President Biden has chosen to build his presidential library right here in Delaware — the place that raised him, educated him, and shaped him into one of the greatest, most accomplished presidents that our nation has ever had. This will be the first presidential library in the First State, and it will bring people from across America and the world to our beautiful home. Delawareans are proud to call Joe Biden one of our own, and this library will ensure that his legacy of service, leadership, and compassion continues to inspire generations to come. Welcome home, Mr. President.”
Rep. Sarah McBride also praised the plan in a statement, calling Delaware “the place at the heart of President Biden’s career.”
“There is no better place for President Biden’s presidential library than the greatest state in the union and the place at the heart of President Biden’s career — Delaware,” McBride said. “From the Senate to the White House, President Biden has dedicated his life to public service and to the people of Delaware. His leadership has expanded opportunity, defended democracy, and reminded us all of the dignity that must define public life. The library will be more than a tribute to his accomplishments — it will be a living reflection of the values he carried with him from Scranton to Wilmington to Washington: decency, empathy, and unshakeable hope in the American people.”