SANDPOINT, Idaho — The East Bonner County Library District has selected a Post Falls contractor to build the next phase of the Sandpoint Library, awarding a $2,272,000 construction contract to Dardan Enterprises following a board vote last Friday.
Dardan Enterprises submitted the lowest bid for the project and has 10 days to formally accept the award, according to EBCLD Director Vanessa Velez. The contract covers a two-story, 4,456-square-foot addition to the building’s northwestern corner — a project the library district board approved in late January.
What the New Addition Will Include
The planned expansion will reshape how patrons use the Sandpoint Library on both floors. The ground level will feature a large meeting room alongside smaller, café-style gathering spaces. Those areas may also offer books and other items for sale through the Friends of the Library.
The upper floor will expand the library’s Lifelong Learning Center and add private study and tutoring rooms, a multimedia room, small-group study space, and staff offices — amenities that library officials say reflect growing community demand for flexible, quiet workspaces.
Notably, the first-floor component traces its origins to the library district’s 2017 expansion project, when planners dropped it from the scope to keep costs manageable. Library officials have since noted that the district’s architect recommended building upward as a more cost-effective way to maximize usable space.
Funding and Construction Timeline
Under Idaho law, the project will not draw on levied tax dollars. Velez has indicated that the bulk of financing comes from private donations, with a portion derived from sales tax revenue distributed to Bonner County. That funding structure positions the expansion as a community-supported initiative rather than a tax burden on district residents.
Library staff have acknowledged that construction of this scale will create some disruption for visitors, though officials say they are committed to minimizing inconvenience and keeping the public informed throughout the building process.
This marks the library district’s second expansion since the Sandpoint Library opened in 2000, following a relocation from a historic downtown structure that now serves as the home of MickDuff’s Brewing Company. The 2017 project added approximately 7,900 square feet across two additions — a two-story wing on the southeastern end and a one-story section on the northwestern side — and brought in a teen lounge, makerspace, virtual reality room, expanded children’s area, and enlarged community meeting rooms.
Dardan Enterprises is not new to library construction in Bonner County. The contractor completed a remodel of the Priest River Library in 2020, a project that added a large community room, a redesigned children’s area, and multiple small study rooms to that facility.
Growing Library District Investment in North Idaho
The latest expansion reflects a sustained investment by the East Bonner County Library District in its facilities and services across the region. Library leaders have framed the growth as a response to increasing use of the Sandpoint location as a community hub — not just for book lending, but for education, tutoring, and public gatherings.
The Lifelong Learning Center expansion on the second floor is particularly notable, as demand for adult education resources and private study space has climbed in recent years throughout North Idaho communities.
Infrastructure decisions like this one — funded through donations and sales tax receipts rather than new levies — align with the fiscal approach Bonner County residents have broadly supported. For local coverage of other infrastructure and government contract news across the region, readers can follow ongoing updates on the Long Bridge pedestrian access project from the Idaho Transportation Department, which similarly affects daily life for Sandpoint-area residents.
What Comes Next
With the bid awarded, Dardan Enterprises has 10 days to accept the contract before construction planning can advance. Library district officials have committed to sharing project timelines and construction updates with the public as work progresses. No construction start date was announced as of Friday’s board action. Patrons are encouraged to monitor district communications for updates on how operations may be adjusted during the building phase.