Port of Bellingham plans Fisherman’s Pavilion for commercial fishermen, events
Zuanich Point Park may be getting a new building that will help event attendees and commercial fishermen deal with rainy weather.
The Port of Bellingham recently applied for a shoreline permit to build a 9,000-square-foot unheated building in the outdoor storage yard near the park. The building, referred to as the Fisherman’s Pavilion on the permit, will have large roll-up doors to create an open-air atmosphere, Mike Hogan, spokesman for the port, wrote in an email.
The building will be used as a work space for commercial fishermen and other members of the working waterfront during the winter months, Hogan wrote. It will also serve to support events like Bellingham SeaFeast, which takes place in the fall on what has at times been a soggy weekend.
Hogan expects the building to be built later this year. The current outdoor storage yard will be temporarily relocated behind the former GP tissue warehouse and eventually moved to behind Mt. Baker Products. No park parking will be eliminated.
The port worked with a number of groups to plan this building, including the Working Waterfront Coalition. Hogan wrote that the groups are planning a fundraising effort to help subsidize the cost of the building.
This is one of several projects the port is working on to bring more people to the waterfront. Near Waypoint Park the port is working on plans to put in shipping container/food truck market by this summer. The port is also planning to install a 66,500 square foot lawn area to be ready this summer, according to a recent port commissioner presentation.
The city is currently taking public comments about the Fisherman’s Pavilion building. Written comments, or requests for information, can be emailed to Senior Planner Steven Sundin at ssundin@cob.org.
