click here for a slideshow | | Building the new marina... • Supports over 90 local maritime businesses
•Presents new opportunities for local entrepreneurs
•Helps meet boater moorage demand
•Generates new revenue for the local economy
•Creates over 50 permanent jobs and hundreds of construction related jobs
•Increases land and water connections between downtown and Bellingham Bay
• Is paid for entirely by State cleanup grants and boater moorage fees.
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"The new downtown marina will create jobs and have ripple effects that will be felt throughout the local economy"
Jim Darling--Port of Bellingham Executive Director
Jobs…Jobs…Jobs. Whatcom County has something for just about everyone except good jobs. Whatcom County residents knows good jobs are in short supply and high demand.
The new downtown marina will create valuable jobs and have an enormous impact on our economy. Over 90 businesses in Whatcom County support the maritime industry and many more benefit from economic activity generated by boaters.
How will this project be paid for? The boaters will pay for what boaters use. The Port does not spend tax dollars on marina development, operation or maintenance. This is covered through boater moorage fees. This model was used when the Port expanded the Blaine Marina in the 1990s and has proven to be successful.
Local tax and grant money will be used to create the new public parks and trails because those are used by the entire community. The public park and trail on the exterior of the marina will be the new front door to Bellingham reaching into the bay with excellent public access. This perimeter park will compliment multiple large parks the Port and City are planning for the adjacent property and the main mill site.
The multi-million dollar investment in a new downtown marina will create an economic boom during construction and have long-lasting benefits after construction. A recent economic anaysis by BST Associates estimated that the new 350-450 slip marina would create more than 50 new local jobs. The types of jobs created include:
Marine repair:
-Engine mechanics
-Fiberglass restoration
-Painters
-Electronics technician
-Divers
Retail & services:
-Fuel station operators
-Insurance agents
-Marina operators
-Marine retailers (boating equipment and gear)
-General retailers (food, drug, misc. retail stores)
-Restaurant workers
In addition to jobs and spending directly related to the new marina, the local economy will benefit from "the multiplier effect" in which money is spent on goods and services unrelated to the marine industry. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on activities directly related to the new marina, $.53 will be spent on indirect or induced activities. Examples include people employed as a result of the new marina spending their wages in Whatcom County or boaters shopping locally for non-boating items like going out to restaurants or buying financial or legal services.
Once built, the new downtown marina is estimated to generate approximately $10.5 million from permanent and transient use and port operations; and $154,000 a year in state and local tax revenue. During the cleanup and building stages, the project is expected to generate approximately $19.5 million and nearly $2 million in state and local taxes.
The marina development will add new connections between downtown and the waterfront helping businesses and locals link up to our most valuable resource. Bellingham has a long history as a boating community and by connecting to our boating past we will help ensure our economic future.
View the "Community Economic Benefits - New Downtown Clean Ocean Marina" report prepared for the Port of Bellingham by BST Associates here.
