Lynden's burned-out Delft Square sold

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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LYNDEN - Developer Jeff Johnson has taken on a lot of redevelopment projects in his more than 25 years in commercial real estate, but he admits none have been quite as daunting as his latest one.

As of Nov. 12, Johnson is the new owner of the city's historic Delft Square building, which lacks a roof after it was gutted in a massive fire in June. Johnson and his wife, Suzanne, paid $210,000 for it, according to the Whatcom County Assessor's Office.

Johnson said he lives three blocks away and decided to put in a bid to buy it so he could put new life into an iconic building in Lynden's downtown.

Delft Square was once the site of the renowned Lynden Department Store. The building, which housed several businesses, was heavily damaged June 9 after two teenagers accidentally set fire to it while smoking marijuana.

"I've never taken on a project where I've basically purchased a burnt building," Johnson said. "I don't know of anybody who has. I think the building ... could be saved. It represents a pretty prominent corner in downtown. I'm pretty excited about it."

He said engineers have inspected the building's structure and determined that it can be saved.

Johnson said he will rely on his years of experience in Whatcom County commercial real estate to build a team of investors and developers to spearhead the project.

Once that team and the necessary money have been assembled, the first step will be to put a roof on the building.

Then, crews will go through and gut the building's interior. Next, architects will go through and redesign the building, which Johnson said will contain office and retail space.

Johnson said it was too early to have estimates on how much the project will cost or how long it will take to complete.

Meanwhile, businesses and insurance companies have filed more than $5 million in claims for restitution from damages sustained in the fire.

A hearing scheduled for Jan. 9 will determine how much the teenagers who pleaded guilty to starting the fire and their families will have to pay.