New East County Library to be second largest in the state
New East County Library to be second largest in the state
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Newly built from the ground up, the 95,000 square foot project would be the second largest branch in the system, similar in size to Central Library in downtown Portland at 103,000 square feet. Image courtesy Multnomah County Libraries
Posted Oct. 13, 2022
By Nardin Ishak
Staff Editor
A new East County Library will be constructed at the Gresam City Hall MAX Station Location, near Gresham High School, after an agreement for Multnomah County Library to purchase City Hall Park and Ride Site from TriMet.
The Library and TriMet signed a Letter of Intent for the library to purchase Gresham City Hall Park and Ride (1297 NW Eastman Pkwy, Gresham), entering a 120 days Due Diligence period to reach a sales price. The new library, East County Flagship, is one of nine projects approved by voters in November of 2020. They would draw funding from the 2020 Library Bond Measure that is estimated to raise $387 million for the nine projects
“The opportunity to help bring further vibrancy to Gresham is an exciting prospect,” stated TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. to the The Oregonian.
Newly built from the ground up, the 95,000 square foot project would be the second largest branch in the system, similar in size to Central Library in downtown Portland at 103,000 square feet. East County Flagship will serve the approximately 40% of Multnomah County residents who live east of I-205. The library promises to provide an exciting level of services and programming in their vibrant, diverse location, with the help of the community. Officials aim to make it iconic.
“It’s going to be a destination,” stated spokesperson for the library’s capital bond projects Liz Sauer to the The Oregonian. “What this looks like will really be guided by community engagement.”
Some of the planned features include an outdoor space, a teen center, a child play area, and a large Maker Space such as the one at the Rockwood Library. The location does not only provide the ability to accommodate an outdoor area, but ample accessibility to the community as it is easy to access by foot or to the Gresham City Hall MAX Station served by the MAX Blue Line, with stops for bus lines 2, 21, and 82. About a half a mile away is Gresham Central Transit Center, the future terminus for FX 2-Division, providing a faster and more reliable way of transit along Southeast Division Street between Gresham and Downtown Portland.
Per the terms of the Letter of Intent, TriMet will retain a portion of the site for future transit-oriented development. Both parties will work together with the City of Gresham to establish the vision for the site and the surrounding area.
“This is a pivotal step in creating the vibrancy and engagement our community deserves and we are grateful to be working alongside Multnomah County and TriMet to make this happen.” stated Gresham City Manager Nina Vetter to The Oregonian..
The new library will be built in the location of the current Park-and-Ride next to Gresham Station. The location will not only provide the ability to accommodate an outdoor area, but ample accessibility to the community as it is easy to access by foot or to the Gresham City Hall MAX Station served by the MAX Blue Line, with stops for bus lines 2, 21, and 82. Photo courtesy The Oregonian.
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