The Lake Stevens Library will move to a temporary new location later this year.
The library will shift from the current building at North Cove Park several blocks north to the former City of Lake Stevens police station on Grade Road. The current library building at 1804 Main Street has been identified for demolition as part of the city’s North Cove Park Expansion project.
“Sno-Isle Libraries will continue to provide library services in Lake Stevens, and we support the city’s plans for the North Cove Park project,” said Rebecca Loney, Director of Public Services for the library district. “We recognize the need for a temporary facility solution while we work to identify options for a permanent new library to serve the Lake Stevens community.”
Under an agreement approved by voters in 2008, the City of Lake Stevens provides the facility while Sno-Isle Libraries provides the library services. The North Cove Park project timeline calls for Sno-Isle Libraries to vacate the current building this May.
Some structural support work and refurbishments are needed before the temporary library could open at the former police station. A timeline and schedule for that work is being reviewed and is expected to soon be finalized.
“The City is excited to find a temporary home for the Lake Stevens Library as we continue to develop a permanent location. Having a community resource such as the Library is vital to all our residents,” Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey said.
Sno-Isle Libraries owns two parcels in the Chapel Hill area adjacent to land owned by the city. At the request of city officials, discussions including the city, Sno-Isle Libraries and the Lake Stevens Sewer District are underway to explore a joint Civic Center Campus that could serve all three agencies under a potential public-private partnership.
“We believe the Civic Center Campus project could provide an innovative opportunity for a long-term library facility solution provided there is a viable funding strategy,” Loney said. In addition, Sno-Isle Libraries continues to support the efforts of state Rep. John Lovick and the Legislature to secure state resources that would support an early learning focused library model in Lake Stevens through a state grant received in 2020, and a local community project request in 2021.
Sno-Isle Libraries recently hosted two online community meetings to gather comments from community members regarding a new permanent library building. “We are committed to ensuring that the Lake Stevens community is included in conversations about the future of their library,” Loney said.
Updated January 20, 2022:
For updates, you can sign up to be notified about new Lake Stevens Library developments or check in with The Road to a Future Lake Stevens Library blog post. On January 20, 2022, Sno-Isle Libraries announced that Site Work is to Begin on a New Library for Lake Stevens.
