Connecting Bellingham
with the Bay

Waterfront cities all over the world are looking at ways to reshape and redefine their waterfronts. The industrial and resource-based development of Bellingham's waterfront in the early 1900's significantly shaped our community.

Another Waterfront Perspective “Communities of all sizes have transformed abandoned, underused waterfront areas for a wide array of new uses, from parks and trails to mixed-use and residential projects, as well as industrial activity.” The Waterfront Center

Today, our waterfront's redevelopment will transform Bellingham, turning the face of downtown toward our spectacular waterfront and contributing in a significant way toward the vibrancy of our community and the region.

With the formation of the Waterfront Futures Group, now is the time for the community to share its creative, compelling, and unique ideas for Bellingham's waterfront that will meet the needs of future generations.

The Waterfront Futures Project is co-sponsored and funded by the City and the Port of Bellingham. They share the vision of our waterfront as a key community asset. The Waterfront Futures Group will take the first steps in creating a blueprint for that vision to become a reality.

The Waterfront Futures Group is focusing on several key elements in the development of a waterfront plan:

• Improving the connections and access to and from the waterfront;
• Developing a compelling waterfront plan that contributes to our economy;
• Working with current efforts to clean up and enhance the Bay’s natural environment;
• Researching elements of successful waterfronts and the best practices of waterfront design;
• Engaging the public every step of the way.