SMOKEY POINT – A new public library is coming to the Lakewood-Smokey Point area, but like the anticipation of pre-ordering the latest mystery book, you’ll have to wait until January to check it out.

The Sno-Isle Libraries signed a five-year lease for about 4,000 square feet of corner space at 3411 169th Place NE, Suites A-C in a strip mall south of the Tractor Supply store on Smokey Point Boulevard.

Officials said temporary library signage would be going up while Everett-based Cobra Construction continues with inside renovations.

Sno-Isle Libraries spokesman Jim Hills said leasing space means that they can get moving on a much-needed library for the fast-growing area.

“The idea is to get a library up and running, then over a period of time – years – better understand what the community’s needs are, and eventually, potentially look at a permanent location,” he said.

The site is in a high-traffic shopping area, on Community Transit bus service routes and near a Park and Ride center. The strip mall also houses a state vehicle licensing office, among other tenants.

Hills said the Lakewood-Smokey Point Library is a demonstration project, modeled after the recently opened Mariner branch on 128th Street SW near the high school in Everett. Both areas were recommended for pilot libraries in Sno-Isle’s 2016-2025 Capital Facilities Plan.

“The Mariner space has worked very well,” Hills said.

The new library will feature a “laptop bar” at the front windows where patrons can sit on stools at tall tables and access computers or laptops via wi-fi for a coffee shop-like experience.

While the actual layout has not yet been decided, Hills said visitors will have access to books, CDs, DVDs and other materials at the location, along with items in the Sno-Isle Libraries online collection, including eBooks, audiobooks, and other electronic resources and research databases. Public meeting space also will be available by reservation.

The Arlington and Marysville areas are expected to grow by 16 percent to a population of 123,497 by 2025, with most of that growth expected in Lakewood-Smokey Point.

Students, retirees and seniors comprise a majority of the population who would benefit from a more easily accessible library in the vicinity, the facilities plan states. Six public schools are within three miles of the new library site.

Sno-Isle Libraries serve 728,745 residents in Snohomish and Island counties through 21 community libraries, online services and Library on Wheels.