Multnomah County Library, Operations Center

As part of a $387M bond measure to expand and modernize Multnomah County Library spaces, Fortis was selected to deliver the first bond-funded project to support its growing facilities—the $35M Operations Center.

To maximize taxpayer dollars, the Operations Center converted an old glulam-and-wood-truss Safeway grocery store into this modern, 73,000sf library sorting and distribution center. The facility includes automated material-handling technology, library stacks for up to 700,000 volumes, and a broad range of collaborative workspaces and amenities. With a focus on sustainability, the project also includes 600 roof-mounted photovoltaic panels contributing to LEED Gold and Net-Zero Energy targets. Fortis in-house Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) Team played a major role in the success of integrating modern workplace and sustainable elements into the existing structure.

Based on the collaborative success of the Operations Center—especially with preconstruction, DEI initiatives (with a high level of diversity involvement among subcontractors and vendors), and sustainability efforts—Fortis was subsequently selected for the largest project of the Multnomah County Library bond: the East County Library.