Port of Bellingham update: Waterfront construction, hidden ‘disco duck’ and more
The Port of Bellingham runs Bellingham’s airport, The Portal, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and more. It recently announced new changes coming soon.
Bellingham events and community projects
The Port of Bellingham has recently started its “Disco Duck Campaign,” a scavenger hunt involving a large disco-ball decorated rubber duck sculpture.
“The Disco Duck, created by a local artist from recycled expresso machines and donated to the Port by the Whatcom Community Foundation, moves to a different Port property each quarter. You can get clues at Mallard’s Ice Cream, the Marine Life Center, and other locations around town. Find the Duck, tag us on social media, and you could win a prize,” Mike Hogan, The Port of Bellingham’s public affairs administrator, wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Each quarter, the duck will be moved to a new Port property.
“Family-friendly amenities continue to thrive. The Port partnered with Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition to add Bigfoot Bike Park for younger riders, becoming a ‘must visit’ destination for families. Summer events like the Noisy Waters Mural Festival, Northwest-Tune Up, and Shoestring Circus are drawing thousands of visitors to the downtown waterfront in support of hotels, restaurants and shops,” Hogan wrote.
The Port has also added new restrooms to The Portal Container Village, and plans to expand parking lots and add new EV charging stations.
Bellingham waterfront
“In Bellingham, the Port is working closely with the City of Bellingham, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and local developers to ensure the redeveloping waterfront reflects the community’s vision and supports downtown businesses. Public access to the water remains a high priority. The Port is partnering with the City of Bellingham and Northwest Skate Collective to create a new skate park under the Roeder Avenue Bridge, providing much-needed covered recreational space in the heart of downtown,” Hogan wrote.
The Port of Bellingham is working with Blaine’s waterfront for a two-year clean-up project to create a usable boatyard for local boaters and create more jobs.
Changes are also coming to the Bellingham Shipping Terminal and the maritime industrial park.
“The Port continues to make steady progress on its largest capital project--the modernization of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal which is one of only 11 deep-water cargo terminals in the nation’s most trade-dependent state,” Hogan wrote.
The shipping terminal’s central dock now features a state-of-the-art stormwater infrastructure. This upcoming season, more work will be done to remove contamination and “restore the navigation depth to 35 feet enabling a wider variety of vessels.”
Large barges are currently operating in the Whatcom Waterway as part of the project.
“The barges in the Whatcom Waterway are associated with the Shipping Terminal Modernization project. The Port has a short in-water work window where the limited dredging of historic contamination is occurring, and we are also removing some old fender pile remnants below the mud line. The gravel on barges will be placed on the sea floor after dredging to form a new, clean, top layer. All work is being done under supervision of the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the placement of gravel is a requirement of the cleanup work,” Hogan told The Bellingham Herald.
“By 2026, the terminal is projected to generate $1 million in wages and 1,200 shifts for dockworkers, with growth expected to reach $3.4 million in wages and 3,600 shifts by 2029,” Hogan said.
Whatcom County’s maritime industry as a whole brings in $1.6 billion in business revenue, 6,400 jobs and $416 million in labor income, Hogan told The Herald.
Boxx Berry Farm in Ferndale
The Port of Bellingham purchased Boxx Berry Farm, a local family-owned berry farm of 65 years, back in May. The Port plans to transform the 59-acre farm into an agricultural research center.
“Modeled after the successful Breadlab in Skagit County, this new facility will create business opportunities for Whatcom County farmers, advance research to protect berries and local crops from climate change and provide educational programs for the community. Whatcom Food and Farming Station will operate the Agricultural Research Center with lease payments covering the cost of the loan so there will be no financial impact to the Port,” Hogan wrote.
Bellingham International Airport
Bellingham International Airport had a 36% increase in second-quarter passenger volumes compared to last year, according to Hogan, who credits the increase to Alaska Airlines adding an additional daily flight from Seattle to Bellingham.
“Port staff regularly share data with all major airlines, highlighting the strong demand for flights from Bellingham, where 2.8 million people live within 60 miles of the airport. While airlines prefer to centralize service in larger hubs, SEA is nearing capacity with little room for expansion, making BLI an attractive option for helping meet Puget Sound’s long-term travel needs. BLI currently offers non-stop flights to seven destinations.”
This story was originally published September 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
