The Port of Bellingham is working with the City of Bellingham on a waterfront redevelopment effort that will bring the community's goals and visions for the future waterfront to reality. During 2006 and 2007, critical zoning and master planning decisions will be made that will determine how the waterfront will redevelop.
2007 Waterfront Update News
For more information about the Port and City Bellingham master planning efforts click here.
For information about the Port's long-range planning in Fairhaven click here.
For information about the Port's long-range planning in Blaine click here.
CONNECTING BELLINGHAM WITH THE BAY
A New, “Clean Ocean” Marina
The Port is moving ahead to implement the community’s vision for the waterfront, which calls for the “creation of a mixed-used neighborhood that combines commercial, institutional, educational, retail service and residential uses.” Central to the Port’s redevelopment plan is the transformation of a contaminated wastewater treatment lagoon into a “Clean Ocean” marina with extensive new salmon habitat and public access; a new public boat launch and visitor moorage in the Whatcom Waterway and development of public access throughout the Whatcom Waterway. To learn more about the planned redevelopment of the wastewater treatment lagoon into a Clean Ocean marina, click here.
Changing the Federal Channel
The Port and City are working together to re-designate the inner portion of the Whatcom Waterway to one that also allows habitat restoration, mixed uses and small boat moorage. These changes still leave the outer or bay-end of the channel available for deep water commercial use and preserve a key maritime economic asset. To learn more about how changing the inner portion of the Whatcom Waterway to a locally managed, multi-purpose waterway will help achieve the community’s vision of the waterfront future, click here.
Background
Bellingham’s waterfront and the Whatcom Waterway are evolving from a heavy industrial waterfront to a waterfront that balances traditional maritime activity with growing public access and recreational uses. These changing uses, as well as a Baywide environmental cleanup effort, are the focus of a community effort to redevelop the waterfront.
This evolution of uses became a community focal point when the Georgia Pacific Corp. closed its waterfront pulp mill in 2001. Suddenly a huge swath of waterfront property became available for new uses and a new vision. The loss of mill jobs also focused attention on the need to ensure that a new waterfront includes new job opportunities.
At the same time, an innovative plan for a Baywide cleanup of historical contamination was taking shape. The Bay Pilot Project brought together the Port of Bellingham, City of Bellingham, state and federal regulatory agencies and tribal interests to create a bay and waterfront cleanup that recognized the changing land uses.
After the pulp mill closure in 2001, the Port and City jointly launched the citizen-led Waterfront Futures Group to create a bold new waterfront vision. This group fostered incredible public participation and public support as it developed a detailed plan for the future, calling for “creation of a mixed-use neighborhood that combines commercial, institutional, educational, retail service and residential uses.”
Since then, the Port and City have taken steps to bring this vision to reality. In January 2005, the Port acquired all 137-aces of Georgia Pacific’s contaminated waterfront property, including its wastewater treatment lagoon. At the same time, the Port and City began working together to clean up and redevelop this industrial property to support a variety of uses including public parks and promenades, homes, businesses, and light industry.
