Four Multnomah County Library projects that will increase Portlanders’ access to library and community services are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.
The projects are all part of a major rebuilding effort funded by a 2020 voter-approved $387 million capital bond.
The Midland Library, on Southeast 122nd Avenue, is already closed for renovation and expansion. The groundbreaking on that project begins with a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday at the library.
The project is expected to cost approximately $31 million and the building is scheduled to reopen in the summer of 2024.
The Midland project is set to expand the building’s footprint from 24,400 square feet to 30,000 square feet and create new features, including indoor and outdoor space for children and families, a dedicated “teen room” and an outdoor plaza.
Multnomah County’s Albina Library exterior rendering on Russell Street courtesy of LEVER Architecture.Courtesy of Multnomah County Library
Outdoor gathering space is a feature of the Multnomah County Library’s plans in 2023.
The Albina Library on Northeast Knott Street will close on Saturday, March 18, in anticipation of upgrades and expansions to that building.
That project will also feature an outdoor courtyard “for community members to relax and connect,” according to a press release, as well as new study rooms, a teen room and updated technology. And, it will increase the library’s current space by four times, to 30,000 square feet.
The Isom Operations Center, which is attached to the Albina Library, will close the same day for renovations as well. When the buildings reopen, scheduled for the fall of 2024, the Isom Operations Center will house library administration offices, and operations will be located in a new operations center on Northeast 122nd Avenue set to open in November 2023.
Multnomah County Library’s North Portland Library exterior rendering on the corner of Killingsworth and Commercial Ave. courtesy of LEVER Architecture.Courtesy of Multnomah County Library
Finally. the North Portland Library on North Killingsworth Street is set to close on Wednesday, April, 5 and then reopen in the summer of 2024.
That project will also feature an outdoor space and updated technology, as well as “A Black Cultural Center for connection and a celebration of Blackness.”
It will also add 1,500 square feet to the existing space.
“Multnomah County Library is in the midst of a profound transformation for the communities it serves,” said Vailey Oehlke, Multnomah County Library’s director of libraries, in the press release. “As Albina and North Portland are both historic Carnegie libraries, we’re excited to update these buildings for a modern era while maintaining their classic integrity. And we’re pleased to do this work alongside the community every step of the way.”
— Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052; lacker@oregonian.com; @lizzzyacker
Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
