REDMOND, OR -- Construction of the new Redmond Library is moving into the home stretch. "We're about to deliver a massive gift to the citizens of Redmond and I can't wait to see them open it," says Deschutes Public Library Director Todd Dunkelberg. It's now a two-story, 40,000-square-foot facility at the site of the old library, at the corner of Ninth and Deschutes, "If you're familiar with the downtown Bend library, it's a little bit bigger than that building," he says, "And much more public space."

Those areas for the public include a "maker" space, "Where people can get together and create things, learn how to do 3D printing, have really hands-on activities; along with some additional small meeting spaces, where people can come in and do some craft projects in a smaller setting."

The features in the new facility were determined by a community survey, "What we really heard over and over is the need for meeting space, in general, in Redmond. So, we've created a large meeting room that holds about 300 people, our community room. And then, it has a divider that can cut that room in half, and then you could have two groups of over 150 people each, meeting at the same time."

Dunkelberg tells KBND News construction is on schedule, "Right now, we're looking at right about the first week of December, so right after Thanksgiving. We're going to be doing a lot of work getting everything- as a bigger building, it's going to take us time to get it stocked and ready, and get all our equipment in there, as well."

The project is funded by the 2020 bond.