Area leaders, families celebrate groundbreaking for new Redmond Library; bricks from old building given out

(Update: Adding video; comments from library director Todd Dunkelberg)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- More than 300 community members and local leaders attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Redmond Library Saturday. Many in attendance went home with bricks from the previous building, to commemorate a small piece of Redmond history.

"We're going to have really interactive, dynamic children's spaces, which is going to be a huge benefit for families here. Plus, we'll have some really fun and interactive creative spaces, work spaces, a bunch of meeting room that people can book, so it's really going to be a dynamic library for people, twice the size of the old library, so we'll have a lot more books" said Library Director Todd Dunkelberg. “This building is for everyone in Redmond, but I am particularly excited about the role it will serve for young people. With more modern amenities, space for children and teens, and better access to digital services, this is a library for our future.”

“I’m incredibly excited for this project, especially how it will serve our youth in Redmond,” said Library Board member Cynthia Claridge. “The new library will have something for everyone, but it will be especially helpful for our youth who are engaging with books and materials in ways that many of us could never have imagined when we were young.”

The Redmond Library is now officially under construction after six years of planning and preparation. The new 40,000-square-foot library is slated to open in fall 2024. A temporary Redmond Library location is now open Monday–Saturday at 2127 S Highway 97.

Redmond’s population has increased more than 225% since the library came into service in 1996. The community now needs a larger space with modern amenities and services for the vibrant Redmond community.

Once completed, the new Redmond Library will feature large and divisible meeting spaces for community use, collaborative and co-working spaces, DIY spaces for creative activities and programs, a dynamic children’s area, a dedicated space for teens and more.

In November 2020, Deschutes County voters supported the Library’s bond measure to expand and improve libraries across the county. In addition to building a new library in Redmond, bond funds are being used to remodel and update existing libraries in Downtown Bend, La Pine, Sisters and Sunriver, as well as for the construction of a new library at Stevens Ranch in east Bend to serve all Deschutes County residents.

Find more information about the Library’s bond-funded projects on its website: www.deschuteslibrary.org/futurelibraries.