New Grants Pass library branch

This property is the future site of the new Grants Pass library. Planning began in 2019 with the development of the library Facilities Master Plan. Josephine Community Library Foundation purchased this property in 2023 with $2 million of funding from generous community members, local businesses, and foundation grants. This ideal location offers the space needed to build a modern, welcoming library designed to serve our growing community for decades to come.

Architects and engineers have determined that the existing structure cannot be salvaged for library use (see Site Criteria starting on page 225 of the Facilities Master Plan). Constructing a new building allows the library to create a space that is accessible, functional, and flexible. The new Grants Pass library will be designed for current community needs while being adaptable for the future.

Current businesses have been aware of these plans since the library foundation purchased the property in 2023. The library foundation’s board of directors has been committed to keeping tenants informed and will continue to share updates as important milestones are reached.

Although the library has a lease agreement with Josephine County through 2030, the county has expressed the desire to use the library building for offices. Through most of 2025, the library teetered under the threat of lease termination and the need to quickly move to another location, which would have been tremendously disruptive to the community of library users. The new library will be fully owned by the library and built with the potential for future expansion to serve the community’s growing population.

The current Grants Pass library, built in 1959, is just 15,470 square feet and far too small to support the books, computers, programs, and meeting spaces the community needs today. It also serves as the main hub for the library’s rural branches in Illinois Valley, Williams, and Wolf Creek. Because these locations have limited space, most staff and volunteers are based in Grants Pass, and materials for the entire Josephine Community Library system, serving 88,000 people, are ordered and processed. In addition to being undersized, the building is showing significant wear due to years of deferred maintenance.

The new library will offer the economic benefits of internet access, a wide variety of public programs, and materials to borrow for education, enrichment, and entertainment. The library will be a thriving community center where all can come together to learn, work, and play, and will include ample meeting space where local organizations and groups can connect. The property’s downtown location will help revitalize that area, linking the historic district to the Rogue River.

The existing library building is owned by the county, which would eventually like to repurpose the building. Additionally, the footprint for the existing site is too small to meet the current level of use of programs and services at the library.

The library’s goal is to own its future home rather than lease. Ownership ensures long-term stability and allows the library to invest in a space that fully supports library services. About 16 properties were originally considered for this project, including the former Bank of America building. After analyzing library site criteria and potential costs, River City Plaza was the most feasible and cost-effective of the downtown properties under consideration.

The library gathered input from the community through four public meetings and multiple stakeholder focus groups in 2019, followed by additional listening sessions in 2024. This feedback helped clarify what residents need and expect from their library. The planning team also studied future population growth and projected library use. Together, this information shaped the program, space, and facility requirements that informed the concept design. After the concept and schematic design phases were completed, independent cost estimates were conducted and have consistently projected a total of $26 million. This estimate includes not only construction, but also planning, permitting, furniture and fixtures, technology, equipment, and anticipated inflation over time. Throughout the process, the design team continues to look for opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining the project’s goals.

The new Grants Pass library will not be funded by taxes collected by the library district, which is designated for library operations. The library also does not intend to seek loans or a voter-approved bond for this project. Instead, funding for the new library will be through diverse funding sources, including individual donors, business sponsors, grant funding, state and federal programs, and in-kind contributions. 

After voters approved the formation of the library district in 2017, community members began requesting facility upgrades to three of the four Josephine Community Library buildings. In 2019, library leaders did the research and analysis necessary to develop a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. Successful completion of the new Williams library (2023) and renovated Illinois Valley library (2024) satisfied requests to upgrade the rural branches, leaving the Grants Pass library as the most outdated building in the system. Library usage in Williams and the Illinois Valley has increased since reopening, and that trend is expected to repeat at the new Grants Pass library. 

The library foundation hosted four community meetings in 2019 to discuss the new library design and inform the Facilities Master Plan. In 2024, the library foundation hosted a series of eight community listening sessions with ZCS Engineering & Architecture to receive input and feedback on four design concepts for the new Grants Pass library. Participant surveys showed more than 60 percent favored a one-story design featuring a secure outdoor courtyard, expanded spaces for children and teens, meeting rooms, and potential for future expansion. The library district and foundation boards reviewed survey results while also considering budget constraints, staffing limitations, funding challenges, cost of operations, and the need to balance immediate and long-term needs. The boards unanimously confirmed the community’s choice, and the library has been actively building on this design concept with ZCS Engineering & Architecture.

The current library on C Street is 15,470 square feet. When it was built in 1959, the Grants Pass population was about 15,000 people. The library planning team considered current library usage and future growth, and recommended that the new library should be at least 30,000 square feet. Library leaders settled on a midway point of a single-story, 22,000-square-foot design.

The Grants Pass library serves as the main staff, volunteer, and processing hub for the whole Josephine Community Library District system. Last year, more than 300,000 items were checked out across the four branches, including ebooks and audiobooks. Thousands of residents used public computers, and volunteers contributed service equal to about 10 full-time employees. 

This project is still in the planning and fundraising phase. Fundraising will determine the start date for construction, and the library will continue to share updates as timelines become clearer. Here’s how you can stay informed and help become a part of making this vision a reality: 

Stay informed: Follow updates from the library as plans progress. Email info@jclfoundation.org to be added to the library foundation’s newsletter list. 

Spread the word: Help share accurate information with friends and neighbors.

Advocate: Be a voice for the importance of a strong, permanent library in our community.

Give: Support the project financially at any level by making a donation. Every dollar helps! To learn more and donate, visit: jclfoundation.org/donate