The Carnegie Building.
SNOHOMISH — A community event space is the renewed focus for the Carnegie Building, the city-owned property at 105 Cedar Ave.
Since the city made a pivot in priorities last fall, the Carnegie has hosted events including the Zombie Walk, the city’s Christmas display, town halls and more.
Terry Lippincott, a member of the Snohomish Carnegie Foundation, said the change is welcome. It fits the vision the foundation has for the Carnegie, she said.
The city is currently rewriting its rental fee structure where, by how it’s contemplated, there would be no charge to groups that hold events that benefit a local nonprofit.
It also would give a discount to city residents who rent the Carnegie.
It’s envisioned some First Street events could utilize the Carnegie, said Shari Ireton, the city’s director for community engagement.
The Carnegie Foundation plans to begin having volunteer docents starting later this month, Lippincott said. They’d be there Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Before this refocus, under the prior administration the city had outlined an operations plan to make the Carnegie a venue rental operation for events such as weddings, receptions, meetings, banquets, celebrations of life, craft fairs and more. Rental prices outlined in December 2020 were $85 per hour, and $95 per hour on weekends.
It is the city’s oldest public building. It served the community as a library for nearly a century until 2003, when the current Snohomish library was built on Maple.
The 1961 veterans memorial obelisk which once stood at the Carnegie is expected to return to the Carnegie’s grounds to be flanked by flags and additional new memorials. — Tribune archives were included in this story.
