Bellingham plans to build a $12 million, five-story building for public works here
Construction of a $12 million, five-story city government building is expected to begin next year in the Roosevelt Neighborhood.
The city’s public works department has submitted plans for a five-story structure at 2221 Pacific St., just east of Interstate 5. The 27,210-square-foot building would replace a 1,850-square-foot modular office and a small open space on the public works’ two-acre property.
The project is currently in a public comment period with construction expected to start next spring, said Mike Olinger, superintendent of maintenance in the department.
Once completed in 2022, the office building will be home to public works staff as well as the parks maintenance department. Much of the equipment and other buildings will remain on-site, said Eric Johnston, interim public works director. Altogether, the office will be home to 120 employees.
Construction will be funded by real estate excise taxes and utility funds.
It’s a significant project for the neighborhood, which doesn’t have building this tall nearby. Going vertical with an office building will help from a density standpoint, Johnston said, adding that another good feature is the central location within the city limits. Bringing in the parks maintenance department would free up space at its 1400 Woburn St. property for other uses. One idea being considered for the Woburn property is building affordable housing.
The building is being designed by Bellingham’s RMC Architects and will meet LEED Silver certification. It will also be 100% electric, fitting in with the city’s existing policy.
Parking areas will not change with the new building, and there won’t be any worker relocation during construction, Johnston said. Services provided by public works are not expected to be interrupted.
The last office remodel for public works was in 1994 but a parking area on the property was redone last summer.
After the office building is completed, the department is also planning to refurbish several of the warehouse and office buildings on the property. Those buildings are decades old and in need of repair to properly house the department’s equipment, Johnston said.
Comments on the five-story building are due Thursday, Dec. 5. Written comment or requests for information can be sent to Planner Anya Gedrath at algedrath@cob.org.
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
