Kennedy Has Not Made Decision On Library Site, Wiggins Says

L. Gard Wiggins, administrative vice-President, denied yesterday that President Kennedy has stated a preference for the site of the Kennedy Library.

Boston newspapers reported Friday that the library would definitely be built in between the Business School and Western Ave. across the Charles from Dunster House. The story was attributed to sources in Washington.

Wiggins, who has toured several proposed sites in Cambridge with Kennedy twice in the last six weeks, said that the President "has all the plans available for each site but as yet has made no decision."

Wiggins said that the announcement of the final site will be made in Washington by the White House, but he indicated that the President will make his preference known to the University before issuing a public statement.

Besides the Western Ave. site, Kennedy is also considering locations further upriver on Metropolitan District Commission property, the Bennett St. MTA Yards, and the Shady Hill site on Francis Ave. He has consistently expressed his wish for a river front location.

Wiggins said that University officials expect the President to make a final decision on his site "in the very near future." Once the site has been chosen, much of the actual planning for the library will be done by Wayne Grover, the archivist of the United States. Grover assumes that the entire facility will require several acres.

Earlier this spring, Wiggins said that the President was giving top priority to the MTA yard location, but as Kennedy himself observed when he came to Cambridge two weeks ago, "The MTA Yards are still owned by the MTA."

Wiggins has pointed out that the MTA property is about twice as expensive as the land near the Business School.