Library Expansion
INVESTING IN OUR LIBRARY: LEARNING, CREATING & THRIVING TOGETHER
L to R – Mayor Ellis, Council President David Emami, Councilor Brett Sherman and Representative Janelle Bynum
Library groundbreaking – August 15, 2023
Library Expansion
Located in the bustling Portland-Metropolitan region, Happy Valley Library is a regional hub for literacy, cultural, and community programming. A well-loved amenity, the Library makes available information and resources on everything from mental health, diversity, history, financial wellness, and more! It serves approximately 61,093 people, the majority of whom are residents in unincorporated Clackamas County.
To meet the needs of one of Oregon’s fastest growing and most diverse communities – and the unincorporated areas served by the Happy Valley Library, the City of Happy Valley is constructing a 10,000+ square-foot expansion to the existing Library building. Improvements will enable the City to provide a 300-person community room, kitchen, and quiet study rooms, creating a welcoming place for all to use, gather, and celebrate our unique and shared cultural experiences.
Project Details & Cost
The Happy Valley Library expansion project has required significant funding to bring it to fruition, with a total cost of 11 million dollars. The City and Happy Valley Library have played a substantial role by providing nine million dollars toward the project, while the State further supported these efforts with an additional two-million-dollar investment. It is important to note that this funding only covers the essential infrastructure requirements. Additional resources are now necessary to furnish the space and solidify its readiness for public use, ensuring that the expanded library can fully serve the community’s needs.
The Finishing Touches
An additional $150,000 is needed to furnish and decorate the new space. This allocation will play a crucial role in enhancing the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the library expansion, ensuring that it aligns with the community’s expectations and provides a welcoming environment for all patrons and visitors to the building. With this funding, the expansion will not only fulfill its practical purpose, but it will also serve as a cultural hub that will enhance a patron’s experience.
Artwork will be created by local artist Sophie Franz, who will continue the style used in the current space. Furnishings selected will be able to withstand repeated use and be utilized in multiple ways, ensuring sustainability, storability, and true functionality.
How You Can Help
The City, in conjunction with Happy Valley Library, is seeking the financial support of private funders and interested community partners to help bring these final touches to our library expansion project.
By investing in furnishings and the curation of artwork, you are not merely enhancing the physical space, but also sculpting an inclusive environment where ideas can flourish, meaningful conversations can be had, and creativity can flow.
Every contribution counts towards our cause, and any gift you make is deeply appreciated. Your support, at any level, helps make a significant impact. For those who are able to give at a higher level, there is an opportunity for your name, family name, or company to be showcased more prominently on our donor recognition wall. Please consider donating today and be recognized for your commitment to making a difference. *For giving levels indicating name inclusion on the Donor Recognition Wall, gifts must be received by July 31, 2024.
Any funds raised above and beyond the cost of the art and furnishings will go towards the rest of the expansion project.
Click here to donate to the Library Expansion via credit card.
Click here to donate to the Library Expansion via cash or check.
The Vision
The City teamed up with Scott Edwards Architecture and engineers at Harper Houf Peterson Righellis. Utilizing input from residents on the Library Board and library staff members, a vision for an exciting new addition to the library has emerged.
Anchored by a large community room that is divisible, the expansion will also include a community kitchen, individual study rooms, additional restrooms, large entryway, and revived courtyard. During normal library hours, the new community room will be used to host programs open to the public. While the existing library already has a community room, this will accommodate many more people and allow for multiple programs to happen at once. It’s also envisioned that the community room and kitchen could be rented out to local groups needing a space to gather.
It is important to note that this vision was driven by community feedback derived from various surveys. The feedback received illustrated a resounding need for more community room space at the library prompting gathering spaces to take center stage. The design proposed has been vetted by the Library Board, Parks Advisory Board, and City Council.
Project Benefits
- Facility expansion will allow the Library to host more programs, better serving the Library’s large, multijurisdictional service area.
- Resident feedback has consistently shown that there is a lack of meeting space for large groups to gather, share ideas, and build community. Proposed enhancements will create additional space for community events, gatherings, and meetings, helping community members access shared learning spaces and activities closer to home.
It is important to note that this vision was driven by community feedback derived from several surveys. The design was vetted by the Library Board, Parks Advisory Board, and City Council, along with input from library staff.
Expansion Updates
There’s a lot of construction activity going on at the Library! In March, significant progress was made with wall and roof framing, including the installation of roof joists and glulam beams. Additionally, a temporary wall was erected within the existing library to maintain separation from ongoing construction activities.
The roof system is in place, which means the building is really taking shape and installation of the supports for the PV array solar panels are nearly complete. The next step is to wrap the building with a weather-resistant material and prepare it for sheetrock.
In the coming months, there will be a lot of activity as crews work on the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire sprinkler systems. Exterior siding and metal panels will also be installed.
The library will continue to remain open throughout the construction process, though some interruptions and/or temporary closures or reduced hours may be necessary from time to time. Completion of the library expansion project is anticipated in Fall 2024. You can also learn more about the expansion project online at www.happyvalleyor.gov/library-expansion.
Wall framing continues on the main level of the new library addition.
Roof joists and glulam beams were installed.
Stanchion supports for the rooftop’s PV array were installed.
Crews work to enclose the structure and prepare it for sheetrock.
Construction efforts at the Happy Valley Library are really starting to pick up and take shape! Steel installation began, alongside ongoing framing activities. Already, framing of the basement walls has been completed, and the first-floor deck and sheathing has been installed. Additionally, Glulam beams for the roof and joists are being installed, while underground plumbing and electrical work are underway.
Upcoming tasks include pouring the lobby slab, followed by the continuation of roof framing and first-floor framing.
The library will continue to remain open throughout the construction process, though some interruptions and/or temporary closures or reduced hours may be necessary from time to time. Completion of the library expansion project is anticipated in Fall 2024. Learn more about the expansion project online at www.happyvalleyor.gov/library-expansion.
Framing of the expansion’s basement walls.
Steel installation is critical for providing structural support and stability to the overall construction project.
The 10,000+ sq. ft. expansion project at the Happy Valley Library continued this past month and the structure’s footings are now complete. Crews continued to form the walls around the basement and pour the concrete walls at the crawlspaces. Most recently, crews began pouring the basement slab in preparation for wood framing to begin.
The library will continue to remain open throughout the construction process, though some interruptions and/or temporary closures or reduced hours may be necessary from time to time. Completion of the library expansion project is anticipated Fall 2024. Learn more about the expansion project online at www.happyvalleyor.gov/library-expansion or by scanning the QR code with your smart device.
An aerial view of the construction progress shows the library expansion footings and initial wall formations.
The 10,000+ sq. ft. expansion project at the Happy Valley Library continued this past month, with the most recent tasks completed being the forming, pouring, and stripping of the concrete footings in the basement and crawlspace of the annex. Crews also began forming the concrete walls of this new space and preparing the basement area for the slab pour. In the next month, crews will continue to form the concrete walls and will have multiple wall pours as the structure truly begins to take shape.
The library will continue to remain open throughout the construction process, though some interruptions and/or temporary closures or reduced hours may be necessary from time to time. Completion of the library expansion project is anticipated Fall 2024. Learn more about the expansion project online at www.happyvalleyor.gov/library-expansion or by scanning the QR code with your smart device.
Concrete footings poured and wall forming underway.
In November, some major utility work was completed. This included the relocation of the library’s generator and transformer. A crane was brought in to relocate the generator and PGE relocated the transformer. Conduits were also bored and pulled underground from the existing electrical room to the new pad/vault location which had to be created from scratch. Crews worked quickly to ensure this was completed with only minimal disruption to Library services and programming.
Upcoming activities:
- Undergrounding utilities, plumbing, and electrical to continue
- Digging for footings, crews to begin forming the new foundation
A crane lifts the generator and begins moving it to its new location.
VILLAGE GREEN PARK
Village Green Park future
In 2021, the City of Happy Valley purchased the vacant triangle property across the street form Village Green Park for future park expansion. Currently, the property is the field office and construction material staging site during the library expansion. Once the library expansion is complete, this is also the site for a future expansion of Village Green Park. The park improvements have not been finalized. The Happy Valley Parks Advisory Committee will be developing a vision to present to the City Council. If you would like to help shape the future of this park, contact Parks Director Chris Randall 503-886-8442.
