MALDEN, Wash. – Malden’s new community center is now open. The city welcomed the public to celebrate the new space, which is also home to a new library and food bank.
The original building was one of many lost in the devastating Babb Road Fire, which destroyed 85% of the town nearly five years ago.
“This day has been five years in the making,” said Malden mayor, Dan Harwood, as the city celebrated something more than recovery – regrowth.
The devastating fire in 2020 reduced much of the small town to rubble. Neighbors lost more than just their homes.
Vanessa Place, Malden Library Branch Manager, experienced the loss on multiple levels.
“Losing my house was hard, but then also losing the library that my kids enjoyed. You know, so that was a very it was like a devastating thing on both sides,” Place said.
Place has seen the Malden Library in all its phases. She had only just begun as a librarian before the Babb Road Fire burned the building to the ground.
“I was actually in the portable library longer than I was in the old building,” Place said.
Despite working out of a portable library with no running water, Place made sure the people of Malden could still access the library’s resources.
“As libraries it’s our intent is to serve whatever our populations need,” said Christy Hughes, Executive Director of Whitman County Library System.
The library worked in close proximity with the food bank while the town rebuilt. This partnership will continue since the library and food bank are now right next door as part of the city’s new community center.
The facility was paid for with $3.6 million worth of grants and donations. Solar panels from Avista are one example of the support.
“It addresses energy burdens and energy equity. And in a town like this, it’s just trying to get back on its feet is so critical,” said Paul Kimmel, Avista Regional Business Manager.
Mayor Harwood expressed his gratitude for the incredible support from the local to federal level. He also honored community members like Place, whose everyday efforts will help Malden thrive in the future.
“It’s our neighbors and family that are first here on the scene,” Harwood said.
The new facility includes an outdoor amphitheater with seating for 50. Visitors can also see the new Palouse-to-Cascades Trailhead and playground equipment.
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