(March 16, 2006)—Baylor University, Southern Methodist University and the University of Dallas were still in the running for the George W. Bush Presidential Library Thursday, but a site backed by a group led by Texas Tech University has been eliminated.

Selection committee chairman Donald Evans says committee members appreciated the West Texas group's plan, but have decided to narrow their search to the other three proposals.

The West Texas Coalition was a partnership between Texas Tech in Lubbock and Midland College.

Last fall, the city of Arlington, Texas A&M and the University of Texas System were eliminated as potential sites.

The cost to build the library is estimated between $200 million and $300 million.

The library will be financed with private donations.

The President and First Lady will have the final decision on the site.

Baylor has been working on its proposal for several years and has purchased more than 100 acres on the banks of the Brazos River as a potential site for the library.

The White House isn’t saying where the library is likely to be built, but insiders have suggested that SMU, which is the First Lady’s alma mater, is the frontrunner.

However the President’s ranch near Crawford is only about 30 miles from the Baylor campus in Waco.

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