By Francesca “Frankie” Silverstein
The re-opening of the Belmont Library Saturday, August 15 was met with an outpouring of community support. With its red brick and arched windows, the original building was instantly recognizable, even after two years of renovation. The hulking maroon structure to the left of it? Not so much. This addition and the connected interior renovation are the final major project of Multnomah County Library’s 2020 capital bond. The project increased the library’s square footage from 6,000 to 15,000 feet, allowing the children’s space to be expanded and a teen area to be added.
However, it’s not just youth who are benefitting from the renovation. Library patrons of all ages are certain to find something of interest within the exposed timber interior. As Deputy Director of the Library Building Projects Katie O’Dell explains, “This new library now gives people a little bit of space and choice…There’s just more room for people, and that gives a little less elbows knocking each other.”
Upon entering, patrons are greeted by the staff desk, with holds to the left and the self-checkout area to the right. Belmont is one of the busiest libraries in the Multnomah County system, so robust shelving for holds was vital. More space for patrons also included four community rooms, one of which is behind the self-checkout area.
As you progress further to the right of the self-checkout area, you’ll be met with vibrancy in every nook and cranny, signifying you’ve reached one of the highlights of the renovation: the neighborhood garden-themed children’s room. The arched windows bathe the room in plenty of natural light, but even on overcast days the room will feel sunny due to the warm yellow walls. Oversized butterflies and flowers creep across the yellow next to an interactive early learning and play space, which is filled with kid-sized furniture and movable elements.
If you manage to drag yourself out of what O’Dell calls “the warmest hug imaginable,” you can head upstairs—a novel experience since the Belmont Library was previously a single-story building. The upstairs is where the majority of the 17,000 books, CDs and DVDs in the collection are held. While you browse, you’ll have plenty to be distracted by. A mural by local artist Emily Counts splashes across the upper walls in varying sunset hues, more community rooms beckon with their AV capabilities and free use and a brand new teen area is tucked around the corner.
This 550 square foot area has comfortable seating, semi-privacy thanks to the surrounding bookshelves and access to a 75-inch screen. It’s also located directly below another art installation—hanging sculptures of notebook paper in various stages of creation and destruction by Britt Howard of Studio Howard and Portland Garment Factory.
Although the expansion of the library’s original footprint made it possible for all of these additions, it came with a trade off that has some community members concerned: a smaller parking lot. The new parking lot has four parking spots—two accessible, two with a fifteen-minute limit.
Library Capital Bond Projects Communications Manager Liz Sauer states, “We understand that there are some folks who drive to Belmont, and so that may be a little frustrating for them. But there’s still street parking available.” The Walgreens parking lot across the street will not be an option as library patrons were only allowed to park there for the grand opening weekend. “We hope that when [patrons] visit, they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, Belmont’s back. It’s bigger and better than ever,’ and so they’re going to be super into all of the other features that are available but knowing that parking is a little tighter,” continues Sauer.
If patrons are concerned about driving, they’ll be happy to know additional bike parking was included in the renovation, and the bike racks are spaced widely to accommodate cargo bikes. Sauer also highlights that the design shrinking the parking lot was voted on by the community, who wanted to maximize the additions.
Community involvement was a key focus of the design process overall, and that effort is evident in the resulting calming and amenity-filled building. The overall color theme, “Evening Glow,” was voted on by the community, and the hope is that the redesign means even more of the community can visit. Director of Libraries Annie Lewis describes an example of accessibility efforts, “You’ll see across the library bigger, lower seats; you’ll see higher seats; you’ll see seats without arms, with arms. So lots of different variety for folks with different needs.”
Another example of the importance of Belmont’s community are the numerous tributes to former youth librarian Jeanie Diaz, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2023. A love note between her and one of her children is included in the interactive section of the children’s playspace, and the children’s storytimes she was so known for will live on in the large community room downstairs.
Belmont has long been a beloved place for SE Portlanders, but what this renovation has shown is that what is so loved is not so much the building itself, but the people who fill it. The new design seeks to amplify this by providing even more space to be filled. In O’Dell’s words, “This is a welcoming space that people feel good in, and that’s part of the whole design—creating beauty for everyone, good design for everyone.”
Housed in the original Belmont Library building, the new early learning and children’s play space is full of vibrant colors and interactive installations. Photo by Francesca “Frankie” Silverstein.
