Port moving closer to this construction on Bellingham‘s waterfront
While there’s plenty of work still to do, the Port of Bellingham’s plans to bring workforce housing and a food campus to the waterfront are progressing to a point where construction could start early next year.
Port commissioners were given a presentation from staff at a Tuesday, Jan. 5, meeting about the project, which is slated to be built on the corner of Cornwall Avenue and the relatively new West Laurel Street. Known as The Millworks, it is being led by a group of local agencies, including the Whatcom Community Foundation.
The port and the agencies behind The Millworks are currently working on an agreement to either purchase or lease the property. A proposal should be ready for the port commissioners’ consideration by mid-2021, said Brian Gouran, the port’s director of environmental programs.
The goal is to finalize an agreement before mid-year, but details of site cleanup will have an impact on timing, said Mauri Ingram, president and CEO of the Whatcom Community Foundation.
Ingram said they will also be engaging the community on what they want to see on the property, as well as getting started on permitting.
If all goes smoothly, they hope to be started with construction in early 2022, Ingram said in an email.
The food campus and housing at The Millworks are in the conceptual stage, so plenty could change by the time building permit applications are submitted:
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▪ Food campus: Ingram anticipates this part of the project will come first, with the focus on providing services for local businesses such as farmers, food trucks and restaurants.
The idea is that by combining a myriad of food-related businesses, it will lead to partnerships that create jobs and fuel economic growth, foster innovation and improve community health and wellness, according to The Millworks website.
Ideas being considered for the food campus include commercial kitchens, farm-to-table processing equipment, warehouse space, offices and a rooftop garden.
▪ Workforce housing: Expected to be five or six stories high, with around 80 units if five stories, the housing would be financially affordable to households earning 60 to 120 percent of the area median income. A sixth floor is being considered as a possible affordable housing ownership model. If that sixth floor is added, the number of units could increase by another 20.
Other components being considered with the housing are an early learning center, common space areas and a playground.
Ingram said the housing component could take longer to get started because it is dependent on public funding sources such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and the Bellingham HOME Fund. It’s possible that there are many projects that will be eligible for those funds in Bellingham, which could extend the wait time for this specific project.
