Feasibility study underway for Blaine library and affordable housing

Several agencies and organizations are in the early stages of considering whether a mixed-use building with a library and about 60 affordable and market-rate apartments could be constructed at the current Blaine library site.

Project spokesperson Paul Schissler, a consultant at Madrona Community Development, gave a project update to Blaine City Council during its September 25 meeting. The feasibility study, he said, is expected to be finished in December and will include a preliminary rendering and cost estimate. 

“The project seemed to be well received from council members but we have a lot more analysis to do,” Schissler said.

Kulshan Community Land Trust (KCLT), an affordable housing nonprofit, initiated the project after it received funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce for the feasibility study. KCLT, which owns the land under its homes to preserve the affordability if the homeowner decides to sell, received support from its project partners, the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) and city of Blaine. 

The project geared up in late May, when city council approved a feasibility study to determine if a mixed-use building could be built at the current Blaine Public Library site and surrounding area. 

Zervas Architects is designing a 10,000-square-foot library on the first floor and affordable and market-rate apartments above. The affordable units would be for households with $60,000 to $100,000 gross incomes and, if there’s enough subsidy, Schissler said the site could potentially have small apartments for people with household incomes of $40,000. 

Roughly 60 units could be built with current parking requirements, but Schissler added that the right-of-ways on 3rd, 4th and G streets could accommodate more parking. If there is more parking, the project could potentially have commercial space for a childcare center. 

“Nothing is firm or fixed or decided yet, but it’s the concepts that could be on the property,” Schissler said. 

The project would be about one acre encompassing the Blaine library, skate park and the parking area in front of and behind the library. The city of Blaine is conducting a critical areas review to determine how much land needs to be set aside for a Cain Creek buffer on the northeast end of the property. 

Councilmember Richard May suggested the city vacate the dead end on G Street, adjacent to the library, to potentially become a parking garage or an additional section of the building. 

The current library, a 5,400-square-foot building converted from a public works garage in 1988, would need a new structure because of condition limitations. WCLS executive director Christine Perkins said during the meeting that this new project is almost exactly the same size as the Blaine library project designed in 2020, which would serve population projections for the city and its urban growth area. 

The Birch Bay Vogt Library Express would not impact the Blaine library project, Perkins added.

“I think this hearkens back to an earlier iteration where we were envisioning a small community library in Birch Bay and the regional library here in Blaine,” she said. 

After the feasibility study is finished, its preliminary conceptual plan will need to be further developed. Project organizers will need to find additional funding for planning and engineering, and then conduct market research before obtaining a construction loan. 

“It’s possible the answer may be ‘no,’” Schissler said. “A library is really important but is it worth finding enough money to replace it? Where’s that money going to come from and how much is it?”