Grand opening celebration highlights an expansive space for the community
PORTLAND, Ore.--March 16, 2026
Multnomah County Library is excited to announce the grand opening of the brand new East County Library at 475 NW Division Street in Gresham, OR on May 16, 2026. East County Library is approximately 95,000 square feet of learning, play and connection for patrons.
What’s inside:
- Advance press tour May 11, 2026 from 1-2 pm
- Ribbon cutting ceremony May 16, 2026
- Public celebration May 16-17, 2026
- New features and spaces: auditorium, audiovisual studio, creative learning room
- Extensive community-driven art
Multnomah County Library is transforming library spaces as part of a November 2020 capital bond. With the opening of the new East County Library, the library has successfully completed 17 building projects (11 Refreshes, five libraries and one Operations Center) and will open the remainder in 2026. The Library Capital Bond has used the community’s investments responsibly to deliver beautiful, modern and transformed libraries.
The bond recognized that over 40% of Multnomah County residents currently live east of I-205, yet East County locations accounted for just 22% of total space in the system. To address this, the library built this expansive new library in East County, with two stories, free underground parking and both indoor and outdoor spaces for patrons to explore.
East County Library is a perfect encapsulation of these modern transformations–and an example of dreaming big with the community. East County Library is located in the middle of Gresham in a culturally and linguistically diverse area. To ensure that the new library reflects its community, all of the updates are the result of extensive community and staff engagement with features for the community to enjoy.
“East County Library is a testament to Multnomah County patrons’ love of libraries and the library is privileged to be the stewards of this extraordinary public building,” said Annie Lewis, Director of Libraries. “With an extensive collection of books and more, the library system’s first ever auditorium for lectures and performances, an audiovisual studio for an accessible studio experience and a rooftop terrace for relaxation, we can’t wait to welcome the community into their brand new library.”
Celebrating East County Library with the community
To celebrate the opening of the beautiful new East County Library, the library is hosting two, fun-filled days of activities for the community on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17. Beginning with a ribbon cutting on the morning of Saturday, May 16 at 9 am with remarks at 9:15 am, followed by music, dancing and more, there will be plenty to do while exploring the new features of East County Library. Patrons can stay up-to-date on the library website.
On June 30, 2023, Multnomah County Library and TriMet finalized the library’s purchase of the former Gresham City Hall Park and Ride (1297 NW Eastman Pkwy, Gresham) from TriMet for use in building East County Library. As part of the agreement, TriMet retains a portion of the site for future transit-oriented development. Both parties have worked together with the City of Gresham to establish the vision for the civic space and the surrounding area.
Additionally, as part of the bond work, on October 17, 2025, the Multnomah County Library District Board voted to declare Gresham Library as surplus, starting the process to sell the property. After a 21-day public comment period, the Board met again on November 21. At that meeting, the Board directed the library and its County partners to negotiate a sale of the property to the City of Gresham at a fair market price. The City of Gresham agreed to lease the property back to the library at no cost until the new East County Library is completed in spring 2026. The City of Gresham will decide how the property will be used once the library has moved out. Gresham Library will close March 27, 2026 to begin move out processes.
Advance press tour of East County Library
**Due to the level of activity expected for the opening events, members of the media are invited to tour the new library early on Monday, May 11, 2026 from 1-2 pm. The press tour will meet outside the new southern main entrance at the corner of NW Division St. and Ava Lane. At this time, the media can get photos of the completed building, comments about the new features and learn about the expansive space, public art and more at East County. **
Exterior of the new East County Library along Division St.; photo courtesy of Multnomah County Library
New features include:
- A large, 200 seat auditorium with flexible seating for cultural celebrations, lectures, performances and family programs–a true community asset for the East County community
- A creative learning room with room for classes to explore everything from robotics to construction to 3D printing
- An audiovisual studio with technology that provides users an accessible studio experience at the library
- A sizable teen room for enjoying technology, connection and creativity
- A large early learning and play space for children and their families with both indoor and enclosed outdoor options
- Two sensory rooms for supporting patrons with diverse sensory needs, one geared towards adults and one geared towards children
- Eight small, two medium and four large community rooms for patron use
- Updated wi-fi and technology, including more laptops, iPads and creative software for patron use
- New Automated Materials Handling system, ensuring materials get to patrons much faster
- Modern self checkout stations to provide a better patron experience
- A large collection with nearly 200,000 books, CDs and DVDs, with representation of the cultural and language diversity of the neighborhood
- Outdoor space called Ikanum for community members to relax and connect including an outdoor plaza for music, speakers and more events, managed by the City of Gresham
- A rooftop terrace for community members to relax and enjoy
- New art that represents the community in coordination with the Regional Arts and Culture Council
- Sculptures along Eastman Parkway from Mike Suri and Terresa White
- Folly sculptures along the north/south spine and on the rooftop terrace from CR&SH Studio Art (Crystal Schenk and Shelby Davis)
- Wall art in the living room from Ka'ila Farrell-Smith, inspired by a community workshop
- Wall murals at the elevators on all floors from Paula Champagne, inspired by a community workshop
- Interior and exterior children's area artwork from Michaela Goade, author/illustrator of Berry Song
- Artwork from the Portland Street Art Alliance
- A mural outside the teen room by artist Xavi Panneton, inspired by a workshop with Gresham High School students
Centering the community
The new East County Library is located in a robust, diverse area of Gresham. To amplify the community’s ideas, the library worked with the design team to host focus groups, online public meetings, one-on-one meetings with community members and public surveys. Community Library Champions from community organizations worked with residents in East County and beyond to gather their dreams for this new library. These organizations include Black Economic Collective and El Programa Hispano Católico. Members of the Immigrant and Refugee Coalition of Oregon (IRCO) also engaged with the community during the early stages of design.
The design team and Champions engaged more than 5,000 people through 60 activities. They also engaged heavily with teens to inform the design of the future teen space. Focus groups were held with teens at local high schools, community organizations and community members with disabilities. Over 550 people cast their vote in a public teen vote to determine the color scheme for the new teen space, with online voting and physical voting stations at libraries and high schools throughout East County. The winner, Cool Coastal, is the color scheme for the new teen room. The project team also hosted multiple surveys to inform functional priorities, art and accessibility.
A new auditorium for the community
With the incredible size of East County Library, it provides an opportunity for new features that haven’t been possible at any other library locations. This includes the brand new auditorium with nearly 200 seats for cultural celebrations, lectures, performances and family programs. With some retractable seating along the floor which can be extended or pushed into the wall, it provides a flexible option that allows for more floor space (or less) depending on the event. The room features a 300” diagonal projection screen, a powerful projector typically used in professional theaters and a thoughtful speaker configuration for even sound distribution. There is also an available assistive listening system specifically for the auditorium, which amplifies sounds from lectures, presentations, storytimes, and events, allowing hard-of-hearing patrons to fully engage with library programs and resources (as described further in the section on community rooms).
The 200 seat auditorium at East County Library; rendering courtesy of Holst Architecture
A central living room for relaxation
When arriving at the new East County Library, patrons can browse nearly 200,000 books, CDs and DVDs. The perfect place to enjoy those materials is the new central living room, with comfortable seating for diverse preferences and needs, indoor plants and a beautiful view of the two stories of library features along with artwork from Ka'ila Farrell-Smith. Plus, the central stair and elevators lead to the second floor and beautiful skylights, lending an open, airy feeling to the library.
East County Library’s central living room with comfortable seating, collections and artwork; rendering courtesy of Holst Architecture
Learning and playing in the kids area–inside and outside
East County Library is continuing the commitment to early learning and development with a 5,370 square foot kids area for learning and play. This area on the first floor has unique furniture developed by the Burgeon Group, the premier firm designing, building, and installing creative early learning spaces in public libraries. Want to head outdoors for a little play and learning? The library has that, too, with an enclosed outdoor play area for kids and their caregivers, all encompassed by a lovely mural that continues indoors from Michaela Goade, author/illustrator of Berry Song. The updated kids area also has technology and seating for kids and their caregivers to learn and play side-by-side.
Sensory spaces for all
East County Library is also home to two sensory rooms, one geared towards children on the first floor and one to adults on the second floor, for supporting patrons with diverse sensory needs. These rooms can be flexible in their use, from providing a calm, quiet area to a space for more focused activity. These sensory spaces have a variety of lighting options as well as interactive furniture and have been intentionally designed based on community input and research. It’s one more way that the library is providing welcoming spaces for the diverse needs of patrons.
Making, doing and learning
In the creative learning room on the first floor, patrons can explore a number of programs in a collaborative learning environment. The space provides access to innovative technology, equipment, software and supportive mentors. Patrons can learn real-life technology, design and engineering skills through open labs, workshops and camps. The space provides access to equipment including 3D printers, a laser cutter, heat press, vinyl cutter, sewing machines and a variety of early education creative learning materials. The creative learning room also includes Windows laptops, MacBooks and iPads with professional software as well as a 164" projection screen.
The teen room featuring the color Cool Coastal which was voted on by local teens; rendering courtesy of Holst Architecture
A new teen room
East County Library’s new 1,542 square foot teen room on the second floor is a special addition. Guided by teen input, teens will have access to an area where they can study, play games using state-of-the-art video equipment on two 75” screens and just be in community with other teens. Teens have an opportunity to plug-in (or unplug!) in a new space complete with artwork from artist Xavi Panneton, which was guided by a teen art workshop.
Sing, record and enjoy
Check out the audiovisual (A/V) studio on the second floor and explore the creative possibilities–the first and only studio of its kind in the Multnomah County Library system! The dedicated studio space has three rooms to encompass a variety of creative needs. The Control Room serves as the hub, housing a professional mixing console and television studio broadcast panel for live production and streaming. The video recording studio space includes a green screen, professional lighting and cameras. The Audio Recording Studio is equipped with instruments, including a digital piano, guitar, bass and drum kit. The audiovisual studio is the place for patrons to get creative and develop their own music, podcast, social media videos and more.
Rooftop views at the library
Need a breath of fresh air at the library? Head up to the rooftop terrace and soak up the sun and sights (with a sun shade for those extra hot days)! With greenery, seating and incredible views including Mount Hood, it’s the perfect, unique spot for community and conversation at the library.
The outdoor spaces continue on the ground floor with Ikanum, a civic space running along the north side of the library. Set next to the MAX Blue Line, Ikanum is owned and operated by the City of Gresham, providing a space for community activities and connection. NARA NW was an important community partner in designing the art and space for Ikanum. The project also received a Metro Nature in Neighborhoods grant to connect library patrons, transit riders, and neighboring residents with nature and provide an additional space for education and responsive programming.
The beautiful rooftop terrace at East County Library; rendering courtesy of Holst Architecture
Places for connection
With multiple community rooms available for patron use, people can connect easily at East County Library. Whether through a community meeting, library event or just needing a quiet room for a one-on-one conversation, these spaces are for the public.
To increase connection, the technology team has equipped the community rooms with audio/visual (A/V) materials. Overall, there are eight small, two medium and four large community rooms–a total of 3,724 square feet for patron use!
With more A/V-equipped spaces, the building can accommodate advanced meeting needs and collaboration. Need to connect remotely for a job interview or host a presentation? East County Library has you covered! All of the meeting rooms support state-of-the-art presentation and video conferencing when connected to a library-supplied laptop.
Additionally, these community rooms are even more accessible thanks to assistive listening systems (ALS) which amplify sounds from lectures, presentations, storytimes, and events, allowing hard-of-hearing patrons to fully engage with library programs and resources. The library offers assistive listening systems via two different methods: a wireless system that allows patrons to use library provided receivers or their own smartphones and a portable offering which includes a microphone for the speaker and a listening device for the audience.
East County Library is yet another library location to introduce Multnomah County’s new fiber network, providing increased internet speeds and bandwidth. The building boasts a strong wi-fi signal throughout.
Artwork for all
As part of these building projects, each major location gains engaging new artwork. Some of these exciting art pieces are thanks to the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program which is led by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). RACC advocates for equity, inclusion and access within the arts and connects artists and creatives to opportunities throughout the region.
As part of the exterior artworks, the three bronze and steel sculptures along Eastman Parkway are a collaboration between local artists Mike Suri and Terresa White called Boundless: North, Center, South. Inspired by the tundra swans' annual migration to the Willamette Valley, Terresa’s bronze swans symbolize the global movement of people who have made homes in this region. Terresa draws on the experience of her Yup’ik culture bearers who moved from Alaska village life to the Pacific Northwest, enriching their new home with their cultural ways of knowing. Mike’s stainless steel elements highlight a fusion of heritage and innovation, with ornamental shapes reflecting his South Asian roots. Mike’s futuristic designs are inspired by his scientist father’s migration from India. Just as the library serves as a gateway to new ideas, stories, and perspectives, these open circles invite the community to explore transformative journeys that begin with curiosity and learning.
Through the north/south spine and the rooftop terrace, patrons can enjoy a variety of folly sculptures peppered throughout by CR&SH Studio Art. CR&SH is a Portland-based art studio composed of husband-and-wife artist team Crystal Schenk and Shelby Davis. With eight sculptures in total, five are installed within the exterior north/south spine and three are atop the rooftop terrace. These artworks pay tribute to the local community, the importance of land and water resources, and well-known icons in and around the Portland metro region. Utilizing cast concrete and lighting elements, the sculptures depict local landscapes, with cast glass representations of bodies of water and mountain ranges. Inspired by the community engagement conducted during the building's design phase, Crystal and Shelby tell stories through the placement of small stainless-steel figures interacting with each other and their environment. These points of connection create intimate moments of engagement for the library users and other passersby as they enjoy the library, attend events in the auditorium and experience the terrace.
As patrons enter the library building from the first floor and happen upon the central living room area, Ka'ila Farrell-Smith, who is a contemporary Klamath Modoc visual artist, writer, and activist, has installed 12 large-scale, site-specific, wall-mounted 2-dimensional artworks. Inspired by petroglyphic imagery found along the Columbia River, Ka’ila fuses these local glyphs with abstraction and the symbolism of mountain contours and ibex forms emerging from shimmering colorful backdrops. Made up of eight birch wood panels and four diptych elk hide panels, Ka’ila incorporated Indigenous practices of stretching the hides and harvesting wild pigments. For this project, Klamath white chalk and wildfire charcoal were used on the elk canvases. Gresham community members hand-twisted strings of blue fabric cordage that extend beyond each panel, like water flowing, connecting the land. Framing the backdrop of the central living room, which can be viewed from every corner of the building including the upstairs level, these artworks ask library patrons to be with these energetic openings—to wonder, with the land, where they might take them.
In addition, Paula Champagne created the artworks which frame the building’s four high-traffic elevator bays. They can be found when accessing the elevators located at the parking garage, first and second floors and the rooftop terrace. After leading an all-ages workshop where Gresham residents were asked to illustrate their favorite types of flowers, Paula was moved by the playful and joyful spirit of the participants and their various floral submissions. This event informed her approach to the art, resulting in four botanical themes, one for each elevator bay floor: 1) trillium leaves and forget-me-nots for the parking garage; 2) dill plants and dogwood leaves for the first floor; 3) sunflowers and oak tree leaves for the second floor; and 4) lilacs and tulip leaves for the rooftop terrace. Integrated seamlessly into the designs are silhouettes of community members who participated in the workshop, honoring the future library users who Paula hopes see themselves reflected not only in the artworks but also in this civic space which is for them.
Lastly, children's book author and illustrator, Michaela Goade, created the art installed on the exterior play area walls. Influenced by her Caldecott Honor-winning story, Berry Song, which is the theme for the interior children's area, Michaela was inspired by the illustrated glossary endpapers from her book. Michaela hopes that those who will enjoy the exterior play area will feel like they're wandering in a juicy berry patch as the walls are adorned with berries of all kinds that can be found during different seasons.
Based on a workshop with Gresham High School students, Xavi Panneton created a tailored experience: a beautiful, peaceful, safe, and inspiring environment incorporating their drawing themes, where they can relax, connect with friends, enjoy nature, and find inspiration to create the world they dream of. The design draws from elements students deeply connected with: rippling water, trees, rocks, and whimsical plants and flowers. Subtle geometric patterns weave through the forms, lending surreal beauty and quiet introspection. Stylistically, it embraces an animated aesthetic over realism. To balance the space’s cooler tones, warm hues like coral, sienna, salmon, magenta, and pink infuse the mural. “A Special Place” echoed throughout the design process–and that’s exactly what Xavi hopes the new East County Library becomes for them.
A sustainable building
Holst Architecture led the design for East County Library. Fortis Construction is the General Contractor. Energy Trust of Oregon worked with Multnomah County Library early in the design process for the new East County Library, providing early design assistance and technical support to help the building incorporate energy efficiency from the start. East County Library is on track to be LEED Gold certified, one of the highest levels of energy efficiency awarded to buildings and the County standard. The library boasts highly efficient new mechanical and plumbing systems, radiant flooring and low-emitting materials which contribute to improved indoor air quality. In addition, approximately 885 linear feet of photovoltaic panels on the building rooftop convert sunlight into electricity. The building also has a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) which stores renewable energy produced by the photovoltaic panels during off-peak times for use during peak times or to be fed back to the electricity grid.
Multnomah County Library is excited to present this dynamic, new East County Library to the community.
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About Multnomah County Library
A treasured community institution since 1864, Multnomah County Library is one of the nation’s busiest public library systems, providing social, educational and cultural programs, resources and services, online and through its 19 public locations. With an eye toward the future of community-centered spaces, the library is working to build, rebuild or expand nine libraries through a voter approved capital bond. In addition to being Oregon’s largest provider of free internet access, the library offers millions of print and digital resources, in multiple languages for people of all ages. From early learning to job training, computer-assisted design and 3D printing, the library supports all people in their pursuits to connect, learn and create. Learn more at multcolib.org
For media inquiries related to the Regional Arts and Culture Council, please contact comms@racc.org