The Deschutes Public Library Board will decide next month whether to move forward with developing part of the Stevens Ranch property in southeast Bend as the site of a new central library branch.

A trial phase, during which planners recruited engineers to perform tests and evaluations on the land and create preliminary plans for a new library concept, will be complete in mid-October.

“Nothing has arisen to tell us to stop,” said Greg Holcomb, the owner representative for the library. “All developments have challenges of some sort,” Holcomb said. “You do have to be very flexible in understanding them and working through them.”

The library entered into an agreement with developers to pay more than $10 million for 9.5 acres of land on the northeast corner of 27th Street and Wilderness Way on July 15 after opposition to the previous Robal Lane property halted the library’s plans. According to documents, if the library board approves the final sale of the property, construction will begin in early October of next year with an estimated completion date in August of 2025.

At a library board meeting Wednesday, architects from Miller Hull, a Seattle-based firm, presented a tentative plan detailing a three-story, 102,000-square-foot library with designated community space for large gatherings, a children’s area, an outdoor plaza and multimodal transit options.

The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council confirmed a concrete bus pad is planned for the northwest corner of the proposed library property to prioritize future transit connections. Improvements to bike and pedestrian access on SE 27th Street are also a part of the transportation bond approved by Bend voters in 2020.

Architects proposed two options to the board at Wednesday’s meeting. The first option allocated all of the land to the library with a large parking area and some open land left on the plot. The second option split the parking area into two and left 1.3 acres empty for possible sale.

Todd Dunkelburg, library director, said he has already heard some tentative interest in the property from buyers looking to build a children’s museum there. Almost all board members were in favor of the second option. Ray Miao, who has been a vocal critic of the board’s intention to develop a single central library branch instead of multiple smaller neighborhood branches, abstained from support or opposition to either option. He abstained because he said he was concerned with making any snap judgments before the land is officially purchased.

During the meeting, Miao attempted to pass a motion to authorize the search of other properties besides the Stevens Ranch property. The motion failed due to lack of support from the rest of the board.

“We owe it to the voters and to ourselves to at least look at another property,” Miao said at the meeting, but he was met with staunch disagreement.

“I feel like we have done enough due diligence in our board and in our search for properties beyond just Stevens Ranch,” said board member Bunny Thompson. “If there are public questions, we will easily be able to answer those confidently.”