Sentence:  Washington Park residents are pinning their hopes on President Barack Obama — that he will select the U . of C . to host his presidential library and that the university will build it on the swath of vacant , city - owned land adjacent to the “ L . ”  While the site for the library will not be announced until early 2015, Chicago is considered by some observers to be the front - runner , partly because of the president and first lady Michelle Obama ’ s strong personal and political ties to the city .
Span:  hopes
Question: What hopes do they have?