Groundbreaking ceremony to be held Saturday

As part of Woodland’s Planters Day festivities, Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries (FVRLibraries) invites the community to help us “plant” our newest library with a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday (June 17) from 2-3 p.m. at the site of the new library, 411 Lakeshore Drive, Woodland.

About the new library

The new Woodland Community Library is the fruition of a multiyear project to provide the public in Woodland with a modern library on a new site, effectively replacing the current 1909-constructed building with a welcoming and accessible library that:

• Is a flexible and inspiring environment for learning and collaboration
• Enriches connections to the community
• Becomes a central destination for generations to come
• Anchors future development in Woodland

In doing so, the library will encompass nearly three times as much space (approximately 7,500 square feet versus the current building’s 2,376 square feet). Features include:

• An exterior courtyard for programs, performances, and enjoyment of library materials
• Designated children’s area with spaces to read, explore, and play
• Adult area with computer center, study tables, and art display
• Study rooms for individual study or small group meetings
• Teen area with laptop bar
• Flexible community room for meetings, events, and performances that is reservable by the public
• A bookstore for Friends of Woodland Community Library to sell their gently used books

Support for the new library comes from Friends of Woodland Community Library and Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation. This project also received partial assistance from Washington State Department of Commerce’s Library Capital Improvement Grant program.

Project History

In 2013, a Strategic Facilities Study determined that new library facilities were needed in the communities of Ridgefield, Woodland, and Washougal. Shortly thereafter, the Friends of Woodland Community Library and Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation began fundraising, while FVRLibraries began looking for potential locations to site a new library in Woodland. 

In May of 2017, the library district purchased a 2.4-acre piece of property at the corner Goerig Street and Lakeshore Avenue at the gateway to Woodland’s downtown core. Over the next two years, FVRLibraries worked to remove existing structures on the property and hired Hacker Architects to design the new facility. Due to the pandemic and other mitigating factors, design development was delayed until late 2022.

An Invitation to Bid (ITB) for construction on the project was recently issued, with a submission deadline of July 10. FVRLibraries will select a winning bid in mid-July. 

More information about the new Woodland Community Library can be found at: https://www.fvrl.org/imagineWoodland