The Timberland Regional Library system and community boosters in Oakville have refined their plans for a new library and community center.
The new facility is slated to be housed in underused parts of the Oakville Elementary School building on School Street. The project would upgrade existing unused classrooms, a kitchen and cafeteria, and include a Native American cultural museum and community center with a full commercial kitchen. Once completed, the new 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot facility would offer meeting space for up to 200 people, and could serve as an emergency shelter.
The project, estimated to cost $2.5 million, would include site work, demolition and permitting, foundation and structural construction, interior construction and electrical work. Plans are being developed by Larry Smith, of Todd & Associates in Olympia. Remodeling the vacant school building was considered a cost-effective alternative to constructing a new facility.
The location would also provide close access to Oakville students and the greater community. The project is anticipated to be funded by grants and donations. Individuals and organizations who wish to can donate to the Timberland Regional Library Foundation at www.trlfoundation.org and designate gifts for the Oakville Building Project.
