Bellingham waterfront developer provides details on next projects, including more housing
Plans for Bellingham’s waterfront district appear to be coming into focus as the developer is adding elements to create an urban village feel.
Des Dennehy, chief operating officer for Harcourt Developments’ U.S. division, told Port of Bellingham commissioners this week about the company’s latest plans to redevelop the land around the Granary Building. While many of the big projects remain the same, the new details indicate more of an effort to mix together residential, office, retail and entertainment into one area.
It also appears the plan is to attract different age demographics into the area, including young adults, families and seniors.
This update is in addition to the recent news that the Granary Building will be home to a new high-tech company that could bring 120 jobs to the waterfront area, the current installation of a large grass area and news that the bike track will remain in place year-round for now.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the new details that Harcourt is specifically working on that Dennehy discussed at the Tuesday, Dec. 8 meeting:
▪ Residential: Construction is underway for the condominiums next to Waypoint Park, but Harcourt has a couple of other residential ideas in the works. One, dubbed an early living facility, will be a large complex with about 600 bedrooms that will be geared toward young couples, families and those interested in co-living formats. It’ll be situated more in the center of the property that Harcourt is redeveloping.
A second project working through the planning stages is a senior assisted living/memory care facility that would have around 200 units, Dennehy said.
Dennehy said they plan to announce the service companies that will operate the facilities in early 2021, but added they have not set a groundbreaking date for either project.
Reservations are strong for condominium units in the three buildings being built next to Waypoint Park, Dennehy said, adding that they are also attracting interest from businesses for the commercial space on the first floor. That project is expected to be completed by early 2022.
▪ Office: Harcourt wants to create more of an office campus, with modern, Grade-A capabilities to land high-tech companies, Dennehy said. One thing Harcourt has learned during this pandemic is the desire of high-tech companies to find what Dennehy termed “lifestyle cities,” or places that offer plenty of amenities, including a modern office space, to land talented workers.
▪ Alcohol Plant: Dennehy said they believe they can repurpose the tall brick building, turning it into a building that has multiple uses, including a climbing wall, gym and space for restaurants. The current space is about 35,000 square feet; Harcourt is pondering the idea of adding another 10,000 square feet to it.
▪ Boardmill building: The brick building once used by Georgia-Pacific as a machine shop is scheduled to become 200-room hotel and convention center. The proposed design looks similar to previous proposals, but Dennehy said they are looking at ways to make it a tourist attraction as well as draw local residents.
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
