The Central Library at Stevens Ranch — the long anticipated major new library in Bend financed by the Deschutes Public Library system’s 2020 bond measure — will begin construction in early 2024 on Bend’s east side.

Two other library renovations in Deschutes County will be finished later in 2024. The renovation projects were also funded by the voter-approved $195 million library bond, and have been ongoing since last year. The La Pine and Sisters public libraries opened in October, while the Redmond and Sunriver libraries are currently under construction. The Sunriver Area Public Library should reopen in the middle of the summer.

The Redmond Public Library is around two-thirds of the way complete, and windows are being put in, said project manager Greg Holcomb. The construction will likely be done in the summer, and furniture and shelving will be added throughout the early fall. The library should reopen in the fall.

The site preparation at Stevens Ranch will begin in January. Construction for the building itself will be started in late March, said Holcomb. The Stevens Ranch site needs to be cleared and flattened first to a specifically designed level.

Despite recent inflation in construction costs, library officials say the projects are within the budget of the bond measure.

“We planned for them early on, the cost escalation, in our budgets and in our design,” said Holcomb. “Currently our projects are running on budget across the board.”

Holcomb’s team oversees the design and construction teams, helps manage the budget and schedules and works with the library staff members so they understand what is going on with each plan.

The chosen builders for the renovations gave advice on costs throughout each project. The team also does a lot of cost estimating, said Holcomb. In every budget, they have allowed for the possibility of rising costs.

“What was shown is what’s going to be built,” he said. “It’s moving along; it’s going to be in budget.”

He said there have been challenges, such as finalizing a site for the Central Library branch, but said he’s proud of his team.

“I think the type of challenges you face in development on all types of properties and facilities are things that you’re always faced with and you just have to deal with them. There’s always a solution and a way to solve a problem and keep moving on,” he said.

The Downtown Bend Public Library branch scheduled to undergo renovation in 2026, after the Stevens Ranch library is complete. Design work will start in 2024. The East Bend Public Library, currently leased by the library system, will be kept open at least until the end of the Downtown Bend library’s renovations.

“We have a really good overall team with a lot of collaboration,” said Holcomb. “It’s paid off.”

Lesser-known benefits of a Deschutes Public Library card