Bellingham waterfront innovation zone gearing up for business

JOHN STARK - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - Work is ready to begin on a major remodel of the former Georgia-Pacific Corp. tissue warehouse, to convert a portion into a specialized research, development and training area dubbed the Waterfront Innovation Zone: Technology Development Center.

Bellingham-based Myers General Construction will do the $1 million project, which includes installing a specialized air handling system, creating a research and development workspace, building a large training area, building an office and conference room area and making other modifications in 10,000 square feet of the warehouse.

Earlier this year, Port of Bellingham commissioners approved a lease with Western Washington University to enable its Engineering Technology program to move into the space to begin the first Innovation Zone project.

That project is a light-weight hydrofoil that will be used by Bellingham's All American Marine in its passenger ferries. That work is funded by a $125,000 grant to WWU from All American Marine and Pacific International Engineering.

The port commission has also approved a lease agreement with Bellingham Technical College that will allow the college to offer industrial and technical trades training at the Innovation Zone facility.

The construction is scheduled to be complete by July, and WWU and BTC will begin operating in the facility in September.

The zone center is one of 11 Innovation Partnership Zones created by Gov. Christine Gregoire to foster partnerships between higher education and industry in the development of emerging technologies.

The Port of Bellingham was one of five zones that also received $1 million for construction of the facility from the state's Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. The Bellingham project is also receiving $460,500 from two federal grants.