Construction Updates

Drywall is going up, giving us a much better feel for spaces like staff offices and the more organic curved walls throughout the main part of the library. Other recent major achievements include getting electricity through a new meter and transformer, in partnership with Clallam County PUD, and the metal roof installation.

Snow and ice slowed work at times, but progress continues on all of the building’s systems. Contractors continue to install layers of insulation on the roof and walls, and outdoor infrastructure has been placed, including irrigation lines, storm water management, and electrical lines for lighting.

We now have a roof! Dormers have been added, allowing a lot of natural light into the middle of the library. Now that the entire building is covered, many subcontractors are working as quickly as they can to complete their portions of the project.

Significant progress was made the past month as the contractors worked through the holidays and some very wet weather. The entire parking lot was poured, giving the site a much different feel, and rafters have gone up quickly!

After a two-month delivery delay, structural steel is now on site! Steel moment frames have been constructed through the main part of the building, which will allow the space to roofed and sealed in.

The majority of the new underground infrastructure work is now complete! This includes extensive electrical and networking conduit throughout the foundation and site, as well as sewer lines, plumbing, waterlines for a new fire suppression system, and irrigation.

The sidewalk along Sequim Avenue has been closed the past month as crews complete utility work in the right of way and prepare to make changes to the entrance into the library’s parking lot.

Metal framing has started to be constructed within the parts of the building that are enclosed, which means Sequim Branch Manager Emily Sly got to stand in her new office today!

Site work has shifted to the front/west half of the lot recently. As the old parking lot is removed, new sewer line is being installed to the building.

In 2023, the Washington State Department of Commerce awarded NOLS a $206,500 Solar Plus Storage for Resilient Communities grant for the Sequim Library Project. The grant application was coordinated with Clallam County Emergency Management and Clallam County PUD to develop a solar array for the building that includes an innovative backup battery system to allow the library building to be used in power outages and other emergencies.

Many new walls went up the past week and we’re starting to get a much better feel for scale of the new library.

A big milestone was reached this month as new sections of foundation were poured around the building and new walls started to go up!

Hoch Construction and their subcontractors have been busy placing infrastructure in the ground before new concrete slab is poured later this summer.

The focus remains on preparing the site for upcoming construction. A lot of this work will never be noticed when the new Sequim Library is complete, but is critical to have a well-built facility that will serve the community for decades to come.

During the month of May, Hoch Construction made tremendous progress preparing the site for new construction. Although much of the old building and the many storage buildings on the property were removed, the concrete slab, several concrete walls, and some of the wood framed walls remain and will be built upon.

In late January 2024, NOLS requested bids for a construction company to complete the Sequim Library Project. Five bids were received from companies across Western Washington. Hoch Construction, based out of Port Angeles, was selected as the lowest qualified bid and the Library’s contract with Hoch was finalized in early April. NOLS is excited to be working with a local contractor with strong ties to the community!

The Sequim Library Temporary Location opened on April 1. The temporary location is open regular hours and offers the entire Sequim Library collection for browsing and checkouts, as well as public computers, printing, newspapers, magazines, Wi-Fi, seating, and programs for all ages.

On March 9, a small celebration was held at the Sequim Library to mark the last day the old building would be open to the public. The following morning, library staff immediately got to work preparing equipment and material for a move across town to the temporary location where the Sequim Library will operate during the estimated 12-month construction period.

In December 2023, Port Angeles based Hoch Construction won a bid to make improvements to the building that NOLS will use as a temporary library during the construction phase of Sequim Library Project.