In this article, we’ll examine how ground-breaking decisions by local planners, board members, affordable advocates, and architects, along with modifications to the local ordinances, have led to the development of mixed-use libraries that integrate affordable housing units.

Portland, Oregon Creates Mixed-Use Library

Portland, Oregon (county seat for Multnomah County) has a strong history of innovative land-use planning decisions. The city and county officially opened the Hollywood Library and Bookmark Apartments project in 2002, the culmination of over six years of planning, design, negotiation, and construction. Hollywood Library, located on the first floor, occupies 13,000 square feet, and since opening, has become a popular branch location. Bookmark Apartments, occupying floors 2 through 4, offer an average of 900 square feet per apartment. Of the 47 apartment units, 19 are set aside for low-income households.

Although preliminary planning and design studies for the library began earlier, the project came to fruition when the Multnomah Commissioners adopted Resolution 99-78 in May of 1999. The resolution called for county-owned surplus or vacant land to be made available for mixed-use development that includes affordable housing.

Following in the footsteps of the Resolution, the Hollywood and Sandy Plan (Resolution 35875) was adopted in April 2000 in a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Planning, the Office of Transportation, the Mayor’s office, and various community members. The plan laid much of the groundwork for the project, including calling for the completion of the new mixed-use library within a five-year period (Action Ph 1). The plan also emphasized the citywide need to promote mixed uses and ensure that new development is pedestrian-friendly.

Multnomah County’s Comprehensive Framework Plan from the Land Use Planning Division also helped guide and direct the development. This document clearly defines mixed-use to include “several different types of uses in a single structure, such as residences, stores, eating establishments, theaters, and office [space]” (Policy 20). The Plan also outlines the county’s responsibility to provide affordable housing and to seek out innovative methods of realizing these goals.

The development team encountered and scaled many hurdles along the way. Ownership of the facility was one obstacle that led to an interesting resolution that allowed the County to retain ownership of the library facility, while the developer was granted ownership of the apartments and the small, ground-level restaurant.

© 1999 Jonathan Rose Companies LLC

Rehabilitation of an Historic Commercial Building into a Library and Affordable Housing in Irvington, New York

Where Portland took a new development approach, Irvington, New York was able to redevelop an historic commercial building into a mixed-use library incorporating affordable housing. The Burnham Building, originally constructed in 1881, housed a manufacturing company until 1986. In 1993, the Village of Irvington acquired it and began seeking proposals to redevelop the property. A unique combination of library supporters, affordable housing developers, and nonprofit property managers stepped up to redevelop the building, with the first floor accommodating the library and the upper floors as affordable rental housing.

Although the project was strongly supported by village officials, Irvington’s existing zoning regulations did not allow for construction of such a project. The Burnham Building is located in the Industrial District (Section 224-39), which precludes mixed-use development. The Zoning Board reviewed the project proposal and recommended that the Board of Trustees adopt a zoning code amendment. In December of 1996, the Board of Trustees reviewed and approved an amendment to the zoning code allowing multifamily dwellings and mixed-use structures in the Industrial District, pursuant to a special permit. With these new regulations in place in 1997, the Board of Trustees granted a special permit to redevelop the building, under very little community opposition.

The project was completed in January 2000, resulting in a 10,000 square foot library, 20,000 square feet of living space, and nearly 3,000 square feet of common space. The 22 affordable rental units made great strides toward reaching the affordable goals of the village, while preserving and improving an important historical structure. The developers were even able to incorporate many modern green features, such as recycled insulation, low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints, a natural sunlight reading room that improves energy efficiency, and solar panels.

Other Cities/Counties Look Toward Creating Mixed-Use Affordable Libraries

Mixed-use library projects are still relatively rare. However, a number of cities have active proposals on the table or have completed projects.

City/County Project Description Proposed Built Minneapolis, MN The city is seeking to redevelop an existing library, which is to include commercial and/or residential space. Twenty percent of residential units (rental or ownership) must be affordable.   New York, NY A nonprofit developer is proposing to rebuild four branch libraries, incorporating low- and moderate-income housing.   Saint Paul, MN A new community outreach library includes a 31,000 square foot library and 98 apartment units. 80 percent of apartment units are affordable to households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.   San Francisco, CA A new development houses a 7,500 square foot branch library, a health center, retail space, and affordable senior housing. All 140 apartment units are available to seniors earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.   Seattle, WA A new 5,600 square foot branch library was built to incorporate 19 apartments, affordable to those earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.

Conclusion

By combining a public library with affordable housing in one mixed-use structure, cities and counties have successfully tackled two needs at once. The communities highlighted in this article were able to work through and resolve any regulatory barriers during the design and development process, thus establishing a valuable addition to the neighborhood.