Deschutes Library Board says East Bend Library will stay open for at least 3 more years

Will reassess for 'data-based decision' after other projects are complete

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With construction or remodeling underway at several Deschutes Public Library locations, members of the Library Board recently discussed the status of East Bend Library, reaffirming their commitment to keeping the location open through at least the end of 2026.

“The East Bend Library is beloved by both the community and our staff,” said Library Board President Ann Malkin following the Board’s Wednesday meeting. “It’s different from our other locations in that it is the only Deschutes Public Library in a building not owned by the library district, which means we periodically have to renegotiate our lease. Today, we were happy to reaffirm our commitment to the East Bend location.”

Some recent budget discussions and a pause in remodeling plans had prompted some concerns about the East Bend Library's future.

Malkin said in Thursday's news release that the current lease for the East Bend space is up on Dec. 31, 2025, but the library would like to extend the agreement through at least the end of 2026, when remodeling is expected to be complete on the Downtown Bend Library.

“We’ve renegotiated the lease on that space every five years since it opened in 2011,” said Malkin. “It’s a familiar process. Once remodeling is complete in Downtown Bend, we can then look at usage patterns across all library locations in Bend — Downtown Bend, East Bend, and the planned Stevens Ranch location — and make a data-based decision to determine our next steps in lease negotiation.”

As laid out in the 2020 bond summary, bond funds are being used to modernize and upgrade the East Bend Library as well as the Downtown Bend, La Pine, Sisters, and Sunriver Libraries. A new library is currently under construction in Redmond, while planning is well underway for a new library to be located at Stevens Ranch in southeast Bend.

The East Bend Library first opened its doors in 2011, making it the newest addition to the Deschutes Public Library System. The library is located at 62080 Dean Swift Road in Bend, near The Forum shopping center off Highway 20. The East Bend Library is housed in a rented 8,000-square-foot storefront and offers access to books and movies, as well as public computers, a community meeting room, and an interactive play space for children.

To learn more about progress on the building and remodeling projects funded by the 2020 bond, visit www.deschuteslibrary.org/futurelibraries/.