Bellingham library secures $3 million from state for 2nd phase of remodel
Bellingham Public Library has received $3 million in state funds for a remodeling project at its downtown location that will include air conditioning for its public areas and redesigned ground-floor space for children and teens.
Funding for Bellingham in the 2025-27 state budget includes a $2 million Library Capital Improvement Program grant and $1 million from the state Local and Community Projects program.
”We are grateful for this funding, which will help us create a more enjoyable and accessible library experience for families and children,” Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund said in a Wednesday statement announcing the grant. “These improvements will ensure our library continues be a welcoming place that cultivates growth, learning and connection.”
Library Director Rebecca Judd credited the elected representatives from Whatcom County’s 40th and 42nd legislative districts for their work in securing state funds amid a tight budget session.
“For over 20 years, our community has debated the need for an updated facility that reflects the high value Bellingham residents place on education, stories, access and opportunity,” Judd said in the statement. “Now, at last, we are on a path to renovate our mid-century building for a new generation.”
Bellingham has collected about $2 million in private donations toward its ground-floor remodeling project. Additional funds for the remodeling project will be included in the city’s 2026 budget, library spokeswoman Annette Bagley told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
Planned projects will focus on the building’s heating, ventilation and cooling system and its ground-floor space that now houses the children’s section, restrooms and a public meeting space.
“The vision is to revitalize the (library’s) aging ground floor into a space for children and teens that is modern, safe, clean, inviting, age-appropriate and ADA accessible. Updates are also needed for the main floor help desk, upper floor staff areas, and the building’s HVAC system,” the library statement said.
Bellingham Public Library at 210 Central Ave. was built in 1950 and is operated by the city of Bellingham. It has branches in Fairhaven, Barkley Village and Bellis Fair mall. Its 2025 budget is $8 million.
A remodeling project during the 2020-2021 pandemic closure focused on the library’s main floor.
Bellingham’s library is one of the top libraries both statewide and nationally, with more than 60,000 registered card holders in a city of 95,000 people and more than 500,000 visits per year. It circulates about 1.6 million items annually — books, eBooks, visual and audio materials and more, according to Wednesday’s statement.
“The library is sixth in the state in circulation per capita. Nationally, according to 2018 data, Bellingham Public Library is in the top 5% in circulation per capita when compared to all public libraries in the U.S. (It’s in the) top 4% if you look at just towns with populations between 25,000 to 100,000,” Judd told The Herald in a 2021 report.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
