Informal Bellingham skate park on the path to becoming official city park
Plans are moving forward for a new skate park near downtown Bellingham, one that skaters hope will make the city a destination for sidewalk surfers in the same way that Galbraith Mountain has become a mountain biking mecca.
City officials are working with local skateboarders to build a park under the Roeder Avenue bridge over the BNSF railroad tracks, where skaters have built their own ramps and rails that they have used for several years.
It’s near the bicycle pump track and seasonal container village on the site of the former Georgia Pacific paper mill being developed by the city and the Port of Bellingham.
An agreement to obtain the site in a swap with the port was approved unanimously by the Bellingham City Council on Monday.
Under the city’s plan, Bellingham will commit $1.5 million toward building the park if a grassroots group called the Northwest Skateboard Collective can raise a matching amount.
“This project will transform an underutilized space on the waterfront into a recreation and gathering space for people of all ages to enjoy, rain or shine. This kind of ‘third place’ plays an important role in helping knit the fabric of our community connections,” Mayor Kim Lund told The Bellingham Herald in an email. “I credit all the partners involved in this with their ingenuity and commitment to bring this idea to life, and specifically, the Northwest Skate Collective for their initiative in getting this community-driven project off the ground.”
Zac Garza, owner of the Unknown Board Shop on Cornwall Avenue, wants to make the Northwest Skateboard Collective a nonprofit to raise funds, moving the park forward and put Bellingham on the skaters’ map.
“It’s been a strong skate scene for a long time (here). You need a lot more places to go to challenge yourself,” Garza told The Herald in a phone interview.
Garza said that his group is looking to build a skate park suitable for all ages and abilities. The fact that the park’s location is under a bridge protects skaters from rainy weather.
“That free roof, we’ve been staring at that for years. The free roof is really important,” Garza said.
Under the city’s plan, its Public Works Department will supervise the design and construction of the park, and the Parks and Recreation Department will run it as a public park, Bellingham spokeswoman Melissa Morin told The Herald.
“The Parks Department will also work with the Skateboard Collective on maintenance and upkeep of facility. The maintenance agreement is still in development but will likely include responsibilities for the collective such as conducting regular maintenance assessments, contributing to routine maintenance tasks and volunteer efforts, and fundraising for significant repair or maintenance needs,” Morin said.
Currently, Grindline Skateparks Inc. of Seattle is working on the park’s first phase, a conceptual design, Morin said. A completed design is expected in early 2026. Construction timing is contingent on funding.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 9:44 AM.
