The next phase of a major renovation project at the Bellingham Central Library is set to begin this year and community partners have launched a fundraising campaign to make up the difference between public funding and the cost of revitalizing the aging library.
The 75-year-old, 44,000-square-foot facility on Central Ave saw nearly 500,000 patron visits in 2024.
After setting aside the dream of building a replacement library downtown, the City of Bellingham began the first phase of an extensive remodel in 2018. The result, completed in 2021, was a redesigned main floor, new public restrooms and study rooms, and freshened aesthetics.
Now, in the second phase of the remodel, the timeworn youth spaces and meeting rooms on the ground floor will see an update. The total project, which will include safety and security upgrades and staff space improvements, is estimated to cost $7 million.
Bellingham Public Library, which is a city department rather than a separate taxing district, derives most of its funding from the city general fund. The library has requested $2 million from the state’s Library Capital Improvement Program, but grant awardees will not be finalized until the end of the 2025 legislative session in late April. Even if Bellingham receives the state grant, the library is still short on funding for interior design and construction.
That’s why, in honor of National Library Giving Day on April 1, the Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees and the Whatcom Community Foundation launched a fundraising campaign to renovate the children’s department and relocate the teen space.
“We get so many people coming in … who say, ‘Oh, I grew up here, it looks exactly the same. I love that!’ and we go, ‘That’s fantastic, welcome back,’ but it should not look exactly the same,” said Bethany Hoglund, the library deputy director, in a promotional video. “Our community deserves a children’s library and a teen space that is updated, clean and current.”
The library is seeking $3.5 million total in private donations, with $1.4 million already committed. One donor has pledged to match up to $100,000 in new gifts this year.
Design, bidding and contractor selection are expected to happen this year, depending on total funding received. Construction in the library will likely start in 2026.
Eventually, the library’s natural gas boiler and the rest of its aging HVAC system will be replaced with an electric system, enabling the library to continue being a place of respite from the heat, cold or poor air quality for all patrons, including vulnerable community members. The HVAC upgrade is estimated to cost another $5 million. Finally, in the third phase of the remodel, the library exterior will be redesigned with energy and accessibility upgrades.
To learn more about the library renovation project, visit bellinghampubliclibrary.org.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
