Bush impressed with library progress

DALLAS (KXAN) - Former President George W. Bush clearly likes the way his presidential library is shaping up.

"It exceeds expectations," Bush said Monday during a ceremony unveiling  the still-under-construction facility on the campus of Dallas' at Southern Methodist University . "It is going to be a fabulous addition."

• Photos: A sneak peak at the presidential library's progress

The 225,000-square-foot red brink and limestone center will sit on about 25 acres and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013.

"I think it's going to be interesting for people to walk through and recollect on eight years of my presidency," said Bush, who moved into a neighborhood not far from SMU when he left office in January 2009.

The Bush presence runs strong at Southern Methodist University. It is the alma mater of former First Lady Laura Bush. The former president, however, said he's still working to make his own mark on the campus

"I walked into the classroom, there's a guy with his hat on backwards," Bush deadpanned "He kind of looks at me and says, 'hey, you look like George Bush.' I hear that frequently."

The George W. Bush Foundation has raised the $250 million needed to construct the library.

It will feature a presidential library and policy institute that the former president said will focus on education, global health, human freedom and economic growth.

"The challenge is after you are president to make sure you are still constructive, that you add something to society," Bush told the 600 people who attended the ceremony.