North Portland Library reopens after $13 million renovation
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The historic 1912 Carnegie building also received a seismic upgrade. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
The newly renovated North Portland Library will reopen this weekend with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and two days of celebration — featuring performances, workshops, family craft time, food and more.
Catch up quick: The library, which sits on the corner of N Killingsworth Street and Commercial Avenue between Jefferson High School and Portland Community College's Cascade campus, closed for construction in May 2023.
- The $13 million project to update the historic, red brick Carnegie building added 1,500 square feet of space — for a total of 10,200 — and modernized its interiors with new paint, furniture and carpeting, while maintaining its vintage touch.
- It was paid for by a 2020 voter-approved library bond.
Zoom in: Located in Portland's historically Black Albina neighborhood, the library includes a new Black cultural center, with a collection of books from Black Pacific Northwest authors, artwork from Sadé DuBoise, Melanie Stevens and Kayin Talton Davis, as well as furniture designed by Ini Archibong and Mac Collins.
- Other new features include an early learning play space for children, outdoor deck, large upstairs community room for library programming and meetings, plus updated technology — new laptops, iPads and creative software for patron use.
Between the lines: The 1912 building also received its first seismic upgrade, retrofitting the structure and facade with steel to make it earthquake-resistant.
If you go: The ribbon-cutting ceremony is Saturday at 9:30am, with community events immediately following.