Bellingham is full steam ahead on housing. Check out these latest projects
With a projected population increase projected at the same time that Bellingham is managing a housing shortage, the city is working to rapidly expand its housing supply.
Here’s a look at three multifamily projects completed recently within city limits.
Cedar Commons
Residents have started moving into phase one of Cedar Commons, an affordable housing community paired with a five-classroom early learning center near the Bellis Fair mall.
The project is being built and managed by the Opportunity Council. Phase one of the development includes 65 units primarily for families making $25,000 to $60,000 per year. The early center features about 80 new childcare slots for local families.
The second phase of the project is still under construction and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027. That addition will include 65 units primarily for seniors.
Upon completion, the project will include a total of 129 permanently affordable rental units.
About half of the $64.8 million project is funded by Opportunity Council. The project is also funded by Bellingham’s local housing levy and affordable housing sales tax, along with money from a congressional allocation, Whatcom County, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, the Washington Community Reinvestment Association and community donors.
Ironworks at Old Town
The first of several buildings planned in the redevelopment of Bellingham’s Old Town neighborhood is now leasing units.
Ironworks at Old Town on Astor Street features 84 middle-income, market rate rental units for between 90 and 130 people. The six-story building includes studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. It also features about 1,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
The Old Town redevelopment area is expected to bring a total of about 800 new housing units when the additional projects are complete. One of the parcels has been set aside specifically for affordable housing, with a partnership already outlined between the city and Mercy Housing Northwest.
The Old Town District is one of Bellingham’s seven urban villages, which support mixed residential and commercial neighborhoods. Urban villages comprise less than 4% of the city’s land area but are expected to accommodate 30 percent of future growth, according to the city.
Madrona Condos
A new six-story building at the site of a former dairy creamery downtown is now offering more than 100 for-sale condo units. Called Madrona, the housing development is located on N State Street and features studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences.
The housing is managed by The RJ Group, which has managed several other large housing projects in Bellingham, including The Crescent apartments in the Cordata neighborhood and the Alpen Grove town home community located behind Costco in north Bellingham.
A newly launched Whatcom County nonprofit organization known as the Future Homebuyers Organization (FHO) is working with Janicki Residential to help income-qualified households purchase some homes in the development through down-payment assistance. Most homes at Madrona will still be offered through traditional market sales.
Unit prices start at $299,900, according to Janicki Residential.
