Locations & hours E-news sign-up Fort Vancouver Regional Library District
1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98663
360/695-1561
Toll-free:
1-888-546-2707 from area code 509 only
Click on the center arrow above to watch a 3-minute, time-lapse video of the exterior wall and deck work and window installation in June and July 2010.
Construction of the building exterior in April and May 2010.
Construction of the building frame in January and February 2010.
Construction of the building foundation, November 2009 to January 2010.
Construction of the building foundation, September through November 2009.
Artist's renderings of new main library at the corner of C Street (main entrance) and E. Evergreen Blvd.
We've begun construction of a new approximately 83,000 square-foot main library at the corner of E. Evergreen Blvd. and C Street, to replace the current main library on Mill Plain Blvd. The new building will be part of the future Killian Pacific "Library Square" development (formerly called Riverwest; see 9/26/08 news release about delay in full Riverwest build-out). The library district is working with the Seattle architecture firm of The Miller|Hull Partnership.
[Left] Citizens at the November 2007 public meeting provide comments on the future building design and features while Miller|Hull architect Adin Dunning listens.
Where is the new library located?
The library is being built at the corner of C Street and E. Evergreen Blvd. – about four blocks west of the current location at E. Mill Plain Blvd. and Ft. Vancouver Way. The new library location is at the northwest corner of the future Library Square (formerly "Riverwest") development site, which is bounded on the north by E. Evergreen Blvd., on the east by Reserve St. and the I-5 corridor, on the south by the City Center Cinemas complex, and on the west by C Street.
What will the building look like? How many floors?
The building will have five levels. The first floor will include a large community meeting room, Friends of the Library bookstore, coffee cart, hold pickups, magazines, computer training, and a teen room. and The partial second floor will house staff offices and workspaces. The third floor will be dedicated to children, with an early-learning center and tween area in addition to the children's collection and program spaces. The fourth floor will house the non-fiction collection, world languages and study rooms, with an atrium-like area in the northwest corner open to the fith floor. The fifth floor will feature the adult fiction collection and a reading room with fireplace. Access to a large outdoor terrace will be through this room.
The design process for the library building considered public input received, the influence of the historic Academy building just across Evergreen Blvd., and the future privately-developed Library Square buildings and public areas that will be built to the south and east of the library.
Will there be more space for books?
In the current building, 11,000 square feet of space are dedicated to the library's collection; in the new building we anticipate more than doubling this to better accommodate and display the library's collection of more than 300,000 volumes, with room for growth.
Will there be a coffee shop? A bookstore?
Friends of the Library will manage a small space on the first level to sell used books. There also will be a coffee cart operating in the atrium on the first level. Separate from the library project, the future Library Square development plans tentatively call for retail shops, but there hasn’t yet been any identification of what specific types of tenants the developer hopes to attract.
When will the new library open?
We anticipate opening the new library to the public in July 2011.
What will the library be called?
The library will retain its current name -- Vancouver Community Library -- and will continue to serve as the ‘main library’ of Fort Vancouver Regional Library District.
When did construction begin?
August 2009.
How are you paying for this project?
Construction of a new main library is made possible by voter approval in September 2006 of a $43 million bond measure for library facility improvements within the City of Vancouver. Approximate budget for the main library project is $38 million, which includes a $5 million anonymous private contribution. Land for the library was donated by the site developer, Killian Pacific.
What about parking?
With at least several years' delay in the full build-out of the publicly/privately financed elements of the development (see 9/26/08 news release), the library will open with parking provided near the building on a surface lot. Eventually, we anticipate that 200 spaces will be available for library patrons in a below-grade parking structure for three hours of free use while they’re in the library. Additionally, the library will be on public transit lines and located in a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly central downtown area.
What are you planning to do about safety and security?
We’ve already heard from citizens that they’re concerned about safety and security in the new location, particularly regarding the future underground parking garage. We don’t expect a rise in problems for library patrons with the move. However, FVRL and Killian Pacific's designers are dedicated to taking steps to help patrons feel safe and comfortable at the new location. (We’ve looked into the crime rate in downtown parking structures and compared it to the main library’s current parking lots, and found little difference.)
What is the library’s relationship with the developer?
The new main library project has been in part made possible by the developer's gift to the district of a prime piece of property for a library. The library project is under the direction and ownership of the Vancouver Library Capital Facility Area board (the Clark County Board of Commissioners) on behalf of the citizens of Vancouver, and will be financed primarily with public funds through bond sales. However, the library district has collaborated closely with the developer, Killian Pacific, to work out the logistics and timing for construction of a public building within a private development.
What will happen to the old library building?
Current plans call for remodeling the current main library building into an administration and operations center for the library district.
What other recent library projects has the district undertaken?
A new Cascade Park Community Library opened to the public on December 15, 2009. Construction was funded by the same bond measure approved by Vancouver voters in 2006 that is funding construction of the new main library. The district also opened a new Battle Ground Community Library in May 2009.
Why were the trees along Evergreen Blvd. removed?
During the planning process for the new library site, the City's forester reported that the trees along Evergreen had been significantly damaged over the years by topping and trimming to keep them clear of above-ground utility lines. Utility lines were moved underground as part of the project, reducing the need for future harmful tree trimming. To make it possible to bury the utility lines, the existing trees had to be removed because the underground lines are in the same location. The trees removed along the street will be replaced as part of the site landscaping with nine new 'Armstrong maple' trees (more than the number removed). Additional smaller trees and shrubs will be planted close to the building.
Public Input
You can send your thoughts about the project to newlibraries@fvrl.org, or by U.S. mail to Attn: Karin Ford, Vancouver Community Library, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver WA 98663. Comments also may be submitted by phone to the library district at (360) 695-1566, or by filling out a comment form at the main library.
Groundbreaking Celebration Held August 14, 2009
L-R: Jack Burkman (Chair, FVRL Board of Trustees), Jan Oliva (co-chair, 2006 Vancouver bond campaign), Nancy Stepsis (Friends of Vancouver Community Library), Karin Ford (Vancouver Community Librarian), Royce Pollard (Mayor of Vancouver), Bruce Ziegman (FVRL Executive Director), Marc Boldt (Chair, Clark County Commissioners), George Killian (Killian Pacific), Rebecca Blaisdell (Chair, Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation), and Ron Hart (co-chair, 2006 Vancouver bond campaign
Approximately 400 people attended the August 14 Groundbreaking Celebration for the new Vancouver Community Library. The event was held adjacent to the library footprint at the corner of C Street and E. Evergreen Blvd. The library will eventually share the full-block site with a Killian Pacific development that has been renamed Library Square. (Thanks for the honor, Killian Pacific!)
[Left] Citizens at the November 2007 public meeting provide comments on the future building design and features while Miller|Hull architect Adin Dunning listens.
