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Vancouver library set to open, but without its neighbors

Killian Pacific has delayed development of a 3.5-acre site in Vancouver, Wash., that is planned to feature housing, hotel and office space. The design of the Vancouver Community Library, in the lower right corner, ended up different than the one in this rendering. (Rendering courtesy of Ankrom Moison Associated Architects)

The $38 million, 83,000-square-foot Vancouver Community Library is ready to go, and officials expect it to be successful.

“New libraries bring new patrons,” said Sue Vanlaanen, spokeswoman for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District.

When the library hosts its grand opening July 17, however, visitors looking out through the large atrium windows won’t see what planners had envisioned when the project began. The original master plan for the area, which included a boutique hotel, condominiums and office space, has been delayed indefinitely.

That plan also called for an underground parking garage, which would have included 200 spaces for library patrons. The garage was delayed as well.

Developer Killian Pacific announced its Riverwest development in 2005. In addition to the library, which was built on land donated by the developer, the Riverwest development would have included three mixed-use buildings and underground parking. In December 2008, Killian Pacific announced that it would delay work for at least a year. At the library ground-breaking in August 2009, Riverwest was renamed “Library Square.”

The original plan was for construction of all Library Square buildings to start and finish along the same timeline, but the 3.5-acre site is still vacant.

“The future of the project is going to be largely determined by market demand,” said Adam Tyler, a spokesman for Killian Pacific. The company plans to host marketing events this summer to seek office tenants for the next portion of the project, Tyler said.

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The Vancouver Community Library, a five-story, 83,000-square-foot structure, will open July 17. The building was designed by Miller Hull Partnership and constructed by Howard S. Wright.

However, the clock is ticking for Killian Pacific. The project’s parking structure is slated to be funded partially by tax increment financing, and those bonds need to be issued in 2014. The plan is then for the city to use $13 million in Local Infrastructure Financing Tool bonds to purchase part of the garage for library use; those bonds also need to be issued by 2014.

The project will need to be re-examined to “maximize the use of public funds,” said Alisa Pyszka, business development manager for the city of Vancouver.

While the rest of the project was delayed, the library went forward as planned. The building was funded primarily by a bond passed in September 2006 – so the project was not delayed when the recession hit, and its budget was never cut.

The first floor of the five-story building features 69 public-access computers and a teen area with three video game consoles, colored lights and furniture to accommodate movie nights.

The main attraction could be on the children’s floor, which has a large area for early-childhood play and learning with interactive exhibits like those seen at children’s museums.

The building’s top floor has a quiet reading room with a fireplace and a landscaped terrace with views of Mount Hood and downtown Portland.

“One advantage of us being ahead of the rest of the development (is that) we’ll have a nicer view for the next few years,” said Bruce Ziegman, executive director of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District.

One comment

  1. Wow, this is ridiculous because Car Auto was fine at this location and was pressured to move because of this dream development. Crazy!

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