Downtown Bellingham got you down? This business owner says things are looking up
There’s a fairly pervasive sentiment among locals that downtown Bellingham is dangerous compared to other neighborhoods, but a local business owner of 16 years is encouraging residents to give the area a second chance.
Mo Tsimouris, owner of Bellingham Bar and Grill since 2009 and Bellingham Axe since 2023, has managed to stay in business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and other difficulties that have affected businesses downtown.
“We still have a long way to go,” Tsimouris wrote in an email to The Herald. “Blatant open-air drug use, property crimes, illegal camping, etc., have contributed to a sentiment that downtown isn’t safe and have caused people to avoid downtown in favor of other areas such as Fairhaven and Barkley Village.
“Downtown has been through ups and downs, and thankfully, we seem to currently be on an upward trajectory. I give a lot of credit to Mayor Lund. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with her, and she is pragmatic and has the best interests of downtown at heart. Since Mayor Lund took over, I’ve noticed marked improvements, and I’m confident that we can further improve the situation.”
In 2024 Mayor Lund introduced an executive order called “Downtown Forward” intended to make the area “safer, cleaner and more welcoming.” The executive order increased police patrols downtown, cleaning of streets, alleyways and sidewalks, adding a downtown office for emergency medical services and “disrupting the sale and distribution of illegal drugs,” according to the city of Bellingham.
According to the Downtown Forward’s six-month progress report, Public Works spent 3,000 hours cleaning downtown, 28 tons of garbage was removed, 441 graffiti tags were removed, 53 drug citations were given and there were 91 emphasis patrols from January through August. EMS calls for drug overdoses also decreased from March 2024 to July 2024.
“Being downtown has its advantages and disadvantages compared to other areas such as Fairhaven or Barkley Village. For me, being downtown is much more advantageous despite the drawbacks. It really depends on the type of business and the owners tolerance of downtown shenanigans,” Tsimouris said.
The business demographic in downtown Bellingham has also changed as restaurants and shops seem to be opening and closing every month. Just last month, two new restaurants opened in downtown as four closed their doors.
One disadvantage of having a business downtown, according to Tsimouris, is the lack of parking.
“The other main concern I hear from my customers is the inconvenience of driving and parking downtown, which has been exacerbated by the subtraction of car lanes in favor of bike lanes. It’s not hyperbole when I say that I’ve talked to hundreds of people about the Holly St. bike lane, and not a single one has expressed even one scintilla of positive sentiment toward it. Even avid cyclists whom I serve regularly have expressed their frustrations and believe it to be a colossal mistake,” Tsimouris said.
After the bike lanes were added downtown in 2024, many restaurants that built outdoor eating areas in vacant parking spaces were told to tear down the “streeteries” by the city, according to previous reporting by The Herald.
Since the lanes were added, there are more cyclists riding on downtown streets and cars are going 8 mph slower, according to previous reporting and data from Bellingham Public Works.
Parking in downtown Bellingham is also a controversial topic, as all street parking and spots in the Commercial Street Parking Garage cost between $1.50-$5 per hour. Parking is free after 6 p.m. and all day Sunday.
Mayor Lund’s “Downtown Forward” executive order and plan is currently in phase 2, which plans to increase Bellingham Police Department bike units, a grant program to improve downtown areas and renovations to Central Library and Lee Memorial Park, according to the plan’s progress report.
“If people haven’t been downtown in a while, I invite them to come check it out again. I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much it’s improved,” Tsimouris said.
This story was originally published April 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
