Multnomah County’s future flagship 📚

First look at the future East County Library

A design rendering shows a building with timber beams and a slatted trellis at the corner of a busy public area.

The Entry Plaza at Northwest Division Street and Ava Lane. | Design rendering by Adjaye Associates via Holst Architecture

Work is moving forward on what will be the second-largest library in Multnomah County.

New details and first-draft architectural renderings released last week are giving us an early look at the future East County Library. Funded by a $387 million bond measure approved by voters in November 2020, the new location marks a significant step forward in the county’s push to invest in library buildings for the first time in decades.

The timing of the project also underscores a need for public spaces and services as the population swells. In a release, Multnomah County Library said the new, 95,000-sqft flagship location “will be easily accessible for the 40% of Multnomah County residents who live east of I-205.”

East County Library PDX Portland — A view of East County Library at dusk, looking toward Mount Hood.

Multnomah County and TriMet have their sights set on 1297 NW Eastman Pkwy. in Gresham — the current site of the Gresham City Hall Park and Ride — for the new library. They hope to complete the acquisition by this spring.

International design architect Adjaye Associates and Portland-based prime architect of record Holst Architecture produced the project’s first renderings based on community feedback. The proposed designs are very PNW, showcasing exposed timber, rich wood tones, and pale neutrals.

Here are some of the features we might see when the East County Library is completed:

A large auditorium for cultural events, lectures, performances, and family programs
Dedicated spaces for children and teens
An entry plaza located along the MAX Blue Line route, with nearby stops for bus lines 2, 21, and 82
A second entrance at the library’s “South Civic Hub” and outdoor area
Reading and computer areas that utilize natural light

A design rendering shows a spacious indoor area with natural light and many people sitting in chairs, talking, reading, or looking at computers. — The reading and computer areas are intended to offer “a feeling of community.”

There’s still time to weigh in on the East County Library’s look. The conceptual designs may be updated based on community feedback once the next development phase starts in March. Construction is slated to begin in early 2024, with completion in the fall of 2025.

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Wednesday, Jan. 25

PDX Spelling Bee | Wednesday, Jan. 25 | 6-7:45 p.m. | Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland | $5 | Show off your skills in this single-elimination spelling tournament with prizes and, possibly, cake.

Thursday, Jan. 26

Secret Roller Disco | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 7-9 p.m. | Abernethy Elementary School, 2421 SE Orange Ave., Portland | Free | Bring your skates, an appetite, and cash for some homemade vegan arepas.

Friday, Jan. 27

sQuatch Fest 2023 | Friday, Jan. 27-Saturday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Cowlitz County Event Center, 1900 Seventh Ave., Longview | $5-$30 | Hear from world-famous speakers, shop for themed merchandise, enjoy local beer and food, and walk away with firmer beliefs — one way or the other.

Saturday, Jan. 28

Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration | Saturday, Jan. 28 | 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Locations vary | Free | Performers will welcome the Year of the Rabbit and the coming of spring with a parade through downtown Portland.
2023 Friends and Family Sale | Saturday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Locations vary | Price of purchase | All three local Powell’s Books locations are offering 25% off (nearly) everything all day.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE FUN RIGHT THIS WAY

Weather

48º | Partly cloudy | 9% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:39 a.m.
Set: 5:07 p.m.

Civic

Lake Oswego’s lone pickleball courts are closed. City Council voted to shutter the courts after noise complaints started rolling in a year ago from neighbors living near George Rogers Park, where the courts were built in 2015. The city will convert them to tennis courts and look for a new pickleball location. 🏓 (KOIN)

Eat

Healthy eating is on the menu at a new spot in the Troutdale Station Food Carts pod. The P53 Food Cart, named for the P53 Diet, offers plant-based dishes to-go like chili, brown rice veggie bowls, and salads. Another location will open in mid-February at Southeast Powell Boulevard and Ninth Avenue. 🥗 (KOIN)
Don’t just eat better — eat the best. Sunbasket’s meal kit service delivers delicious, healthy meals created by award-winning chefs straight to your front door. Bonus: PDXtoday readers can get $100 off their first four deliveries and more when they sign up. 🍽️ *

Plan Ahead

The Oregon Convention Center will transform into “the ultimate playground for comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming” Friday, Feb. 17-Sunday, Feb. 19. FAN EXPO Portland (formerly known as Wizard World) is a pop culture celebration with a star-studded lineup of celeb guests, including Michael J. Fox, Sam Raimi, Katee Sackhoff, and Anthony Daniels. 💥

Film

How have Oregon’s outdoor spaces impacted your life? That’s a question the Oregon Made Creative Foundation and Travel Oregon want BIPOC filmmakers to answer in a short film pitch for a new grant worth $20,000-$25,000. Applications for the Outdoor Adventure Film Grant are open until Friday, Feb. 17.

Coming Soon

Portland Gear, which has spent the last three-and-a-half years selling its Rose City merch as a pop-up at Washington Square, is moving into a permanent retail space in the mall. The store is slated to open in April. It also has a location near Providence Park. 🧢

Theater

Original, full-length plays that are 100% improvised are Deep End Theater’s specialty. Run by a husband-wife team, Deep End is currently teaching improv classes at SMILE Station in Sellwood, while working to open a permanent home near Southeast Division Street and 26th Avenue by the end of the summer. 🎭

Drink

Are these grounds for a splurge? Proud Mary Coffee’s award-winning Black Jaguar Geisha coffee — made from beans that cost $2,000 per pound — will be available starting Monday, Feb. 6 at cafes in Portland and Austin. Only 22 cups will be made, each priced at $150. Please, please drink it black. ☕ (KOIN)

Outdoors

Bernadette, a 6-year-old Amur tiger at the Oregon Zoo, is in good health and looking as majestic as ever. “Bernie” underwent testing at OSU’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine last fall after a seizure stopped her breathing. An MRI revealed small lesions on her brain, but no signs of an ongoing problem. 🐅 (OSU + KGW)

Ranked

Portland is among the best-prepared US cities for a “smart” future, according to new research from ProptechOS. The list analyzed factors like tech infrastructure (think: free WiFi hotspots and the number of 5G network towers), sustainability, and the number of tech jobs. Our friends in Austin scored the highest. 💻 (ProptechOS)

Job

We’re hiring a Sales Executive to lead our advertising relationships across all 25 of our cities nationwide. This executive would have the opportunity to sell into all 6AM City markets, pitching the most relevant + modern media offering in town while earning a competitive salary with unlimited PTO. If you’d like to be considered or know someone we should, learn more + apply here.

Wellness

If one of your 2023 goals is to create more time for self care and relaxation, an acupressure mat is a must. The mats are designed to stimulate pressure points to relieve tension, decrease stress levels, and increase circulation. This ProsourceFit full body mat includes neck support. *

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This license plate is a must-hive 🐝

New specialty Oregon license plate supports bees

A license plate shows two bees hovering over a field of red clover.

Prepaid license plate vouchers can be transferred to another car owner, making a great gift. | Photo via OSU Extension

Love our local pollinators? Now you can put your honey where your mouth is and buy a themed Oregon license plate to support the state’s 600+ bee species.

The new Pollinator Paradise license plate is a colorful ode to some of our state’s hardest and smallest workers. It was designed by 16-year-old Marek Stanton of Estacada (who happens to bee an entomologist and volunteer with the Oregon Bee Atlas) and features a field of red clover and two bees: the managed honey bee and the wild yellow-faced bumble bee. Fun fact: Oregon produces more than 25% of the national supply of red clover seed — and no other crop supports a higher diversity of bumble bees.

Presales of the Pollinator Paradise plates are currently underway. Each plate costs $40 (not including title, registration, and plate fees) and sends $35 to Oregon State University’s Pollinator Health Lab and Honey Bee Lab programs. Production won’t begin until 3,000 presale vouchers are sold (the count at the time this story was written was 2,016).

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: If you love the Pollinator Paradise license plate but don’t live in Oregon, you can still support bee research at OSU — and show the world how much you adore the insects — with an Oregon Bee Plate shirt or hoodie from the Oregon State University Foundation.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn about Isaka Shamsud-Din and how his art has impacted Portland.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Rachel Sklenar | Advertise with us.

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