Yearlong closure set during renovations at Bellingham library’s downtown building
Bellingham Public Library’s downtown location will close for a year during a long-awaited renovation project slated to start next year, city officials announced earlier this year.
An $8.5 million remodeling effort will start in late summer or fall of 2026, Library Director Rebecca Judd told the City Council during a presentation on the 2026 budget in October. It’s the second part of a modernization plan that began in 2020, when the building was closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic.
An exact date for next year’s closing hasn’t been set.
“At that time, we will be closing the Central (Avenue) library to the public while we do the construction — the interior construction — and we will be expanding hours at our three branch locations. So we’ll have additional hours,” Judd told the council.
Construction is expected to be finished by the summer of 2027, Judd said.
This second phase of construction will include a complete renovation and expansion of the downstairs, adding space to the children’s section and making it more open and welcoming, Judd said.
Mayor Kim Lund said that members of the public will be able to see the design and comment on it before it’s finalized.
“We’re really trying to make (downstairs) the place for children and families,” Lund told the council.
A meeting room used for special events and public gatherings will be retained as part of the new design, Judd said.
Also slated for remodeling is the second-floor staff area. The project includes repairs for the heating system, and adds air conditioning to public spaces.
During construction, hours will be expanded at the library’s three branches in Fairhaven, Barkley Village and Bellis Fair mall, Judd said.
City officials have been discussing ways to offset the temporary loss of the library as a community gathering place, especially for those without a home, Lund told the council.
“In many meetings, across different departments, there’s been hours of conversation about that,” she said.
Funding for the renovation project includes a $3 million award from the state Legislature, $2 million in real estate excise tax funds and $3.5 million private funding.
About $1.5 million of private funding still needs to be raised, Judd said.
Bellingham’s library system is among the most popular in the state, with 360,000 visitors through September this year., according to previous Herald reporting.
Patrons borrowed a total of 1.4 million books and other items from the library collection so far this year, Judd said.
More than half of all Bellingham residents have used their library card at least once in the past three years, and one in four Bellingham residents has used their library card in the last three months.
This story was originally published December 27, 2025 at 3:02 PM.
