Sno Isle selects Faber Construction for Lake Stevens library; staff outline 15–18 month timeline and community programs

Sno Isle Libraries announced during a Lake Stevens advisory-board meeting that Faber Construction has been selected as the general contractor for the new Lake Stevens library and that site work is expected to begin this month. Library staff said the project is likely to take 15–18 months and that, if schedules hold, the library’s grand opening would be in spring 2026.

The announcement was delivered by a Sno Isle Libraries staff member, who said library capital-planning and communications teams placed door hangers in the neighborhood around the site to alert residents to early construction activity and expected noise. The staff member added that crews will first set up a construction trailer and perimeter fencing before larger work begins and that staff are already planning summer reading programs for the new building.

Why it matters: The new building will change local library capacity and services in Lake Stevens, and managers said the project will require ordering furnishings and finishes that can affect the schedule. ‘‘We do expect the project to take between 15–18 months,’’ the Sno Isle Libraries staff member said, adding the library is planning summer 2026 programming in the new facility.

Library staff also reviewed service and programming updates for Lake Stevens. They reported that Lake Stevens ranked first among midsized libraries in the Sno Isle system in 2024 for checkouts, check-ins, holds and new registrations, citing steady increases in usage since 2022. Staff said that during a November windstorm the library remained powered and served as a community hub: more than 270 customers came the first day to charge devices and get warm, and more than a dozen customers enrolled in extended self-service hours that let patrons enter the building from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Staff described other recent and upcoming programs. All seven Lake Stevens School District elementary schools are participating in the districtwide Third-Graders Read Together program, supported by the Sno Isle Libraries Foundation and including online author talks for classrooms. Sno Isle also received a Humanities Washington grant to run its Prime Time literacy program again at Hillcrest Elementary; staff said Prime Time will begin at the end of February and will be held at Hillcrest this year to support library staff who have recent experience running the program there.

On districtwide initiatives, staff said Sno Isle will host FAFSA-completion events across the district to address the state’s low FAFSA-completion rate; Marysville has events in English and Spanish, and Sultan and Granite Falls are targeted sites. A staff member said events will include onsite help with required documents and evening meals to make attendance easier for working families.

Board members raised operational questions and local coordination items. A board member noted that the library’s classification (small/medium/large) may change once the new building opens. City representative Kim Shipman said she will ask the city for any details to share at the next advisory-board meeting and offered to report back on an adjoining property to the Sno Isle site.

The meeting also included reports about governance and staffing: library staff said long-serving Sno Isle trustee Martin Munea completed a 14-year term and that Kay Kroll, a Marysville resident, has been appointed to the Sno Isle board of trustees with a term beginning in January. Board members asked that Sno Isle Executive Director Eric Howard be invited to a future meeting so local volunteers and advisory members can meet him.

Ending note: Library staff asked residents to expect construction activity nearby and encouraged those with questions to watch for updates on the city website and Sno Isle communications.