Mount Vernon Library Foundation - A History
The Mount Vernon Library Foundation was founded in 2010 inspired by a very generous gift from Sonya Beard, a very caring business woman and philanthropist in Mount Vernon. She recognized before her passing that the City of Mount Vernon was growing and that a new library would be needed in the future. Brian Soneda, then the Library Director, and Harold Page, the Foundation’s first president, did the ground work to establish the Foundation, setting it up as a 501c(3) charitable organization as of 2012.
The first effort to collect community input and to attempt to scope out a project occurred in 2014. The Foundation provided partial funding for a Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study conducted by Berk Consulting and SKHS Architects. Through hours of stakeholder meetings, surveys and other analysis they produced a report that provided guidance for location and the size and amenities to be considered for the new facility. They stated that the Mount Vernon community saw the Library as a critical provider of access to information, education, and learning support. They also recognized that the current facility built in 1954 needed replacement rather than trying to upgrade the current building.
This first effort stalled a bit, largely due to the formidable task of finding a location that was affordable and properly located. A breakthrough occurred in early 2018 thanks to the efforts of Bob Fiedler, former City Council member, and Mayor Jill Boudreau. Bob had been looking at the entire complement of city and county-owned properties and found that a plot of land at 208 Kincaid St., just across from the Skagit County Courthouse, might be suitable for a combined parking facility, library, and community center. In March 2018, the City and Skagit County entered into an interlocal agreement to jointly cooperate in exploring options for this combined facility.
During the summer of 2018 another series of focus groups were held, conducted jointly by city and county staff. This analysis looked more closely at the combined needs for a replacement facility for the Mount Vernon Senior Center and how it could integrate with a library operation. This focus group study highlighted 20 themes that were of importance to future users, ranging from more community meeting space, improved program offerings, latest technology, and safety considerations.
In late 2018, the Foundation formally committed to the City to raise at least $3 million in support of the project. Funds provided by the Foundation are to be primarily focused on fulfilling the needs for the interior appointments of the building-furniture, computers, display shelves and other items that support the delivery of educational programs. The City hired OAC Services in December of 2018 to be project manager to explore the options for the building, site evaluation, and funding.
In April of 2019 OAC provided their report which delivered initial architectural drawings and a site plan showing how the proposed facility could fit the land parcel. They also provided cost estimates that ranged from $33 – 41 million for the combined parking deck, library, and community center. The new facility was dubbed the “Mount Vernon Library Commons”.
Through 2019 and into 2020 work has continued on finalizing an agreement between the city and county to formalize the use of the proposed site. Considerable effort has also gone into finding funding sources and reviewing options for phasing the project. The coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 has slowed progress to some degree; however, this project is still a critically important one for the future of Mount Vernon.
The first effort to collect community input and to attempt to scope out a project occurred in 2014. The Foundation provided partial funding for a Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study conducted by Berk Consulting and SKHS Architects. Through hours of stakeholder meetings, surveys and other analysis they produced a report that provided guidance for location and the size and amenities to be considered for the new facility. They stated that the Mount Vernon community saw the Library as a critical provider of access to information, education, and learning support. They also recognized that the current facility built in 1954 needed replacement rather than trying to upgrade the current building.
This first effort stalled a bit, largely due to the formidable task of finding a location that was affordable and properly located. A breakthrough occurred in early 2018 thanks to the efforts of Bob Fiedler, former City Council member, and Mayor Jill Boudreau. Bob had been looking at the entire complement of city and county-owned properties and found that a plot of land at 208 Kincaid St., just across from the Skagit County Courthouse, might be suitable for a combined parking facility, library, and community center. In March 2018, the City and Skagit County entered into an interlocal agreement to jointly cooperate in exploring options for this combined facility.
During the summer of 2018 another series of focus groups were held, conducted jointly by city and county staff. This analysis looked more closely at the combined needs for a replacement facility for the Mount Vernon Senior Center and how it could integrate with a library operation. This focus group study highlighted 20 themes that were of importance to future users, ranging from more community meeting space, improved program offerings, latest technology, and safety considerations.
In late 2018, the Foundation formally committed to the City to raise at least $3 million in support of the project. Funds provided by the Foundation are to be primarily focused on fulfilling the needs for the interior appointments of the building-furniture, computers, display shelves and other items that support the delivery of educational programs. The City hired OAC Services in December of 2018 to be project manager to explore the options for the building, site evaluation, and funding.
In April of 2019 OAC provided their report which delivered initial architectural drawings and a site plan showing how the proposed facility could fit the land parcel. They also provided cost estimates that ranged from $33 – 41 million for the combined parking deck, library, and community center. The new facility was dubbed the “Mount Vernon Library Commons”.
Through 2019 and into 2020 work has continued on finalizing an agreement between the city and county to formalize the use of the proposed site. Considerable effort has also gone into finding funding sources and reviewing options for phasing the project. The coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 has slowed progress to some degree; however, this project is still a critically important one for the future of Mount Vernon.
