Learn about the new Sumner Library
New Sumner Library construction begins
Community members, including Sumner Mayor Kathy Hayden, former mayor Bill Pugh, Councilmember Paul Herrera and members of the Sumner City Council joined Pierce County Library System on Thursday, Oct. 2, to celebrate the groundbreaking on the new Sumner Pierce County Library. Located on East Main Street, crews have begun groundwork at the home of the new library.
The current Sumner Library needs to be moved because its current location, which the City of Sumner owns, requires costly repairs, is undersized for the population it serves and does not meet current needs, and it is difficult to access.
In August of 2023, the Sumner community voted to create a Library Capital Facility Area (LCFA) and bond(s) to build a new Sumner Library. The City and Library System are collaborating to build a new, modern, centrally located, community-focused library with books, materials and all services accessible for the diverse residents of Sumner.
Johnson Architects is designing the almost 20,000-square-foot library, which will offer books and movies to check out, computers and technology, and meeting spaces and study areas, as well as other services based upon the community’s needs.
We are incredibly grateful to voters for supporting their Sumner Pierce County Library. The results of the vote demonstrate the trust Sumner citizens have in the Pierce County Library System and we are committed to upholding that trust by building an inclusive library with spaces and services to meet the community’s needs.
The new library will:
- Be an up to 20,000-square-foot library, which is nearly twice the size of the current 10,600-square-foot building.
- Carve out individual spaces for toddlers to gain literacy skills, for children and families to read and learn, a zone for teens to study and collaborate, places for job seekers and entrepreneurs to hone their skills, and areas for people of all ages to connect.
- Offer books and movies to check out, computers and technology, and meeting spaces and study areas, as well as other services based upon the community’s needs.
- Function as a multi-generational center for learning, enjoyment and community.
- Serve as a destination for children and families providing indoor space to develop a love of reading with literacy-rich activities.
- Located centrally and be inclusive and local.
- Provide accessible books, materials and all services for the diverse residents of Sumner.
- The library will be built on Main Street East, which is near schools, shopping, the senior center and where people live. The area is walkable and bikeable.
Renderings courtesy of Johnston Architects.
FUNDING THE NEW LIBRARY
- The Library System estimates the total project cost at $19 million in today’s market, for an up to 20,000 square-foot building.
- $15 million of the funding will come from bonds.
- The average assessed value of homes in the Sumner area is approximately $514,000. If the measure passes, it is estimated that a homeowner of an average assessed home will invest approximately $10 per month in additional property taxes for the new library.
- In addition to the bonds, the Library System is committed to contributing $5 million through a variety of sources, including a $3 million capital campaign supported by private philanthropy organized and lead by the Pierce County Library Foundation and an allocation from the Washington State Capital Budget, which helped to reduce the bond amount.
- Tax exemptions are available for senior citizens and people with disabilities who meet certain income requirements. Those residents may be exempt from part or all of this local property tax. To learn more, please call the Pierce County Assessor’s Exemption Hotline at 253-798-2169 or apply online for an exemption.
LIBRARY CAPITAL FACILITY AREA (LCFA)
The Library Capital Facility Area (LCFA) will be an independent taxing district, separate from the City, the Library System and Pierce County, for the sole purpose of funding a significant portion of the new Sumner Library.
- The LCFA will include all of the properties in the city limits of Sumner.
- Overall, the Library System will oversee the building construction, and then manage and operate the Sumner Library.
- The LCFA governing body will be three members of the Pierce County Council, chosen by the entire Pierce County Council.
- The LCFA will own the building through the life of the bond (projected to be 20 years; for a maximum of 21 years) and lease space for the building to the Library System.
- Through an inter-local agreement, the Library System will contract with the LCFA to manage the construction of the new library and to operate it following completion.
- Overall, the Library System will oversee the building construction, and then manage and operate the Sumner Library.
- When the bonds are repaid, the LCFA will dissolve and it will transfer the title of the building to the Library System.
View the agenda for the Oct. 10, 2024 Special Meeting.
