Thursday, November 18, 2021
Location will help library move towards permanent spaces, expedite other bond projects
Portland, Ore.--The Multnomah County Library Capital Bond Program Management Office is pleased to announce, after a thoughtful, strategic process, a location has been finalized for a new Northwest Library on NW Pettygrove St. (the street address is 2030 NW Pettygrove St., Portland, OR 97209).
The new Northwest Library location is the second real estate acquisition of the bond projects, with the first being the Operations Center in East Portland.
Thanks to the resources and support of Multnomah County’s Department of County Assets as well as the county’s current contracted realtor, CBRE, the library and bond team identified the building as the ideal property due to its size, location and ability to provide a flexible space to stage library staff and materials for bond projects that are currently underway. These first projects include Albina, North Portland, Holgate and Midland as part of Chapter One, as well as the Operations Center. The library is also currently looking into and evaluating options for an East County flagship library site that is best suited for the community’s needs.
As envisioned in the Framework For Future Library Spaces (PDF), Multnomah County Library has the opportunity to use the new location to move away from leased spaces in favor of permanent, library-owned buildings in order to reduce expensive rents and maximize the return on the voters’ investments.
The current Northwest Library location is a 4,700 square foot leased space at 2300 NW Thurman Street. The new Northwest Library seeks to more than double the space available with 10,000 square feet of permanent library space. While the design and construction of the Northwest Library is slated to be among the last group of bond-funded projects, beginning in Fall 2022, it will undergo a robust staff and community engagement process, gathering input on everything from meeting spaces to layout to art to technology.
“This is a great location and we are pleased to have found it so early in the overall process. Owning this site now can help support and expedite the other bond projects that are currently underway. And through this process we can ensure all our projects are community-centered and delivered efficiently for the people of Multnomah County,” said Director of Libraries Vailey Oehlke.
CONTACT: Liz Sauer, Multnomah County Library Capital Bond Projects Communications Manager, 608.469.9250, elizabeths@multcolib.org