The Mount Vernon Library Commons is a project worthy of superlatives. It is the largest economic development project ever undertaken in Skagit County, the City of Mount Vernon’s most sustainable project, and hosts the nation’s largest public EV charging facility.
The new building houses a library, community center, and parking structure to support Mount Vernon’s downtown. The library and community center portion of the building is approximately 30,000 sf and includes library collections, fitness flex room, commercial/ teaching kitchen, multipurpose room, STEM learning center, offices, and public conference rooms. The design uses 80% less energy than the average Washington library building. The commons also features parking and 78 Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations, with capacity to expand to 200.
FSi was the mechanical and fire protection engineer for the project, providing HVAC, plumbing, fire/life safety system engineering along with energy consulting to support the project’s Passive House certification. FSi’s contributions to the highly-efficient design include design of air-to-water heat pumps for heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters, heat recovery ventilation for the building,and passive ventilation for the garage. Our life cycle cost analysis of HVAC options enabled the City to select the system with the highest level of occupant comfort and energy efficiency, lowest carbon footprint, and the best long-term value.
The $53M project received funding from more than 40 grants, from sources including HUD ($1.7M) and the US Department of Transportation TOD and TIFIA Rural Loan program ($26.83M), along with state, federal, and private funding. With its parking and vehicle charging infrastructure, the project is expected to be an economic driver for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, spurring development of the waterfront including new hotel and mixed use buildings. The commercial kitchen will serve as a business incubator. The STEM Education Center will support the area’s next generation of innovators.
