‘Crown Jewel’ penthouse located at Fairhaven Towers listed online at $6,540 a month

Located at the brand new Fairhaven Towers, a penthouse given the moniker of the “Crown Jewel” has garnered attention around Bellingham recently with its monthly rental cost of $6,540.

The Fairhaven Towers, which began construction in Spring 2018, now stand at the prominent corner of 12th Street and Harris Avenue, where the historic Fairhaven Hotel once stood. The five-story building includes the “Crown Jewel” penthouse, two more penthouses and 35 high-end apartments.

“The site is really interesting, it’s got a tremendous history,” Brian Finnegan, president of WestCom Properties, told The Bellingham Herald. “The reason that it is the ‘Crown Jewel’ is its location. First of all, Fairhaven is probably the most desired spot in Bellingham. It’s got a very high walk index, which means you can walk to the grocery store, restaurants, bars, you’ve got all the amenities within a couple of blocks of that location.

“It’s kind of the 50-yard line of Fairhaven,” Finnegan continued. “Obviously the views are gorgeous and spectacular. You get up to the third and fourth floors and the penthouse units, it’s really dramatic.”

Finnegan told The Herald that the price of the penthouse, which is available in October, is on the high-end among other listings. However, the reason is because the project was originally built as a condo development, meaning higher quality construction and materials were used that wouldn’t normally be found in an apartment unit.

The average rent across the complex varies, with $800 for a studio unit on the low end to over $6,500 for a penthouse.

“The higher up you get where the views are really spectacular, the rent obviously is higher than if you had one on the east side of the building, which is the backside,” Finnegan said. “The penthouse units have spectacular views.”

Finnegan said that the Fairhaven Towers may appeal to retired couples who may want to downsize in a nice location. Others may include private companies or organizations with contracted employees in need of temporary housing.

“The west side is the view side and there are units on the east side of the building as well,” Finnegan said. “The nice thing about that is you get this great location in Fairhaven even though you don’t have views (from your apartment), you may not have the bay and island views. But you’re in a really high-level, high-finish property.”