This Pierce County city may get a $15 million library, twice the size of its current one
The Pierce County Library System has plans to build a new library in Sumner, but it wants to hear from residents first.
The library system wants to know what residents want and need in a new library. They can share ideas in-person at the current library at 1116 Fryar Ave., online at bit.ly/3vL4tvH, or during a Jan. 31 open house from 11 a.m. to noon and 3-4 p.m.
The new library would be built at 15126 Main St. E. The library system bought the 1.67-acre site in October 2021. This puts the library back on Main Street and near where it began serving the community over 90 years ago, when it used to be at the Ryan House.
The plan is to build a 15,000-20,000 square-foot library, which is about twice the size of the current building. The materials and services offered at the new library will be “accessible and user-friendly for the diverse residents of Sumner,” according to a news release.
The new library is estimated to cost between $15-$19 million. This could be funded by a $12-$15 million bond, $3 million in donations and $1 million or more from state appropriations.
The library system’s Board of Trustees and the Sumner City Council must pass resolutions before placing the $15 million bond on a ballot and establishing a Library Capital Facility Area.
A Library Capital Facility Area ballot measure means it focuses on one service area. The taxpayers would only be paying for one library, not all libraries in the county system.
Community input will be collected until the end of February. The library system will present that information to the Board of Trustees in March. In a following meeting, the board will vote to move forward or not with the ballot measure.
The Board of Trustees meets on the second Wednesday of every month. More information on the meeting can be found online at bit.ly/3iebRNi.
It’s possible that the ballot measure will be on the primary election ballot in August or the general election ballot in November. Bonds need 60 percent to pass and 40 percent of the turnout from the last general election.
A 2019 survey from the library system garnered thousands of responses and showed that 88 percent were interested in a new library, according to the library system’s website. The COVID-19 pandemic paused the community engagement process.
The library system has been serving the community in the current 10,600-square-foot building since the late 1970s.
The 1980s was the last time the library system put forward a bond. It passed, and it helped build and update many of the libraries that exist today in Pierce County.
