The Port of Bellingham has plans for these Fairhaven waterfront properties
The Port of Bellingham recently released an update on its Fairhaven properties, addressing the current statuses of projects and plans for the future.
The Port currently has three major projects underway in Fairhaven, at the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park, Community Boating Center and near the cruise terminal.
At the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park, the port “raised site grades and built a sea berm to protect FMIP from sea level rise. Upcoming improvements to sewer, stormwater, power, and telecommunications infrastructure will safeguard over 100 marine trades jobs and open a new lot for marine trades development,” according to the Oct. 6 news release.
Near the Community Boating Center, the Port plans to build a new ADA-accessible hand-launch dock and small kayak beach in 2026, with funding from a Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office grant.
The Port is also working to clean up contamination across five acres of marine industrial land near the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, while also considering expanding its services there.
“While the Alaska Ferry continues to be the primary user of the Bellingham Cruise Terminal with weekly service to Alaska, Port staff identified opportunities to further activate the transportation terminal with small to mid-size cruise vessels,” the news release states.
“Marine trades representatives voiced support for this type of increased activity, highlighting substantial economic benefits,” according to the news release. “As a next step, staff recommended a Feasibility Study that, if approved at an upcoming Commission meeting, would begin a 12-18-month process to evaluate partnership opportunities, infrastructure needs, and potential impacts; and bring this information to the community for feedback.”
The Port is also considering doing work at the Fairhaven Shipyard property.
“With strong potential to create new living-wage jobs, maritime stakeholders shared recommendations on infrastructure which would benefit the working waterfront and the types of businesses which might be interested in the property. Commissioners requested more information on Puget Sound maritime trends and industries best suited for the site,” the news release states.
“Port staff will prepare a Fairhaven Work Study report to document the Commission’s strategic direction. The Fairhaven session is part of the Port’s quarterly series of geographically focused planning meetings. The next session will focus on the Waterfront District in early 2026,” the news release states.
