Downtown District

Community members gathered downtown on a clear, sunny day enjoying a City event.

Our Community’s Vision for Downtown

Downtown Bellingham is vibrant and unique. It’s full of one-of a kind local businesses, event venues, and public spaces. These are just some of the things community members have said are important to them through surveys and in-person events. Through community feedback, a vision for our downtown was established.

The below documents include more information about the community vision and goals for the district. They also guide private development and public improvements, and inform prioritization of City investments.

Downtown Plan

After two years of studying, planning, and gathering ideas and input from the community, 10 core visions emerged for Downtown Bellingham. Check out the Downtown Plan (PDF) to learn about these visions, and more about what’s guiding downtown land uses, employment, housing, sustainability and more.

City Center Neighborhood plan

The downtown, waterfront and Old Town districts make up the City Center. The City Center Neighborhood Plan (PDF) contains a description of these areas, how they were formed, and links to each district’s subarea plan.

Downtown District Development Regulations

Learn more about Downtown District Development Regulations at BMC 20.37.(500-570). There you will find regulations for boundaries and land-use areas, land-uses, development regulations, parking, landscaping, and signs.

Design Review Information and Standards

Visit BMC 20.25 Design Review and our Urban Village Design Review page to learn more about Urban Village Design Standards, which apply to the Downtown District, and the design review process.

Downtown Beautification and Cleaning

Downtown Bellingham Partnership 

The City provides funding and resources to the Downtown Bellingham Partnership (DBP) to help keep downtown attractive, including:  

  • Maintaining planting beds and planters. 
  • Cleaning street furniture.  
  • Picking up litter on a daily basis throughout the week. 

Covered Garbage Bins

The City’s Solid Waste group is exploring covered garbage bin options to reduce litter downtown. As part of these efforts, the group is piloting two new Bigbelly garbage bins at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Holly Street. About the bins:

  • They are enclosed and keep out wind and rain.
  • They prevent garbage in them from becoming litter on streets and sidewalks.
  • They prevent production of a contaminated liquid that can be produced when garbage and rainwater mix (called leachate). Leachate sometimes ends up in waterways.
  • Since these larger bins have more capacity, they reduce the number of garbage bins needed and reduce collection frequency. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions. 
Garbage bin on a sidewalk corner at a street intersection. There is a solar panel on top of the bin and a sign on the side that says Bigbelly.
Solar-powered Bigbelly garbage bin on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Holly Street.

Downtown Rain Gardens

The City’s Rain Garden Stewards program helps to improve water quality in Whatcom Creek and adds green spaces downtown. These rain gardens help treat and infiltrate stormwater (polluted urban runoff) from more than 80 urban acres that flow into Whatcom Creek.  

Rain garden next to a sidewalk on a street corner with plants, mulch, and rocks.
Downtown rain garden on Cornwall Ave.

Why is graffiti an issue?

Graffiti detracts from the aesthetics of downtown buildings. This can harm business owners by reducing retail sales or property values. A business tagged with graffiti is less likely to be patronized. Community members feel less safe and secure entering a storefront where graffiti is present. 

What is being done?

To help address the growing volume of graffiti, the City funds the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s graffiti removal program. The program supports painting, buffing, or chemically removing graffiti tags. There is no cost to business or property owners. See the Evaluation Report for more information about the success of the program).  

The Bellingham Police Department provides the Partnership with best practices for addressing graffiti and supports graffiti removal.

Removal Reporting Requirements

Business and property owners are required to remove graffiti within seven days per City of Bellingham ordinance.  

For more information about property owners’ responsibility to remove graffiti, see: 

  • BMC 10.28.020, which declares graffiti visible from any public place a nuisance. 
  • BMC 10.28.030, which outlines the quick response required by the property owner.

Downtown roadways, bike lanes, and on-street parking areas are regularly cleaned by City street sweepers. Sweepers operate on downtown streets every Tuesday and Wednesday on a graveyard shift. Downtown alleyways are swept monthly. Please abide by all no parking signs to ensure that street sweepers can access roadways.  

Street sweeping removes harmful pollutants and hazardous waste created by vehicles. That removal protects fish and wildlife and improves water quality in nearby waterways. Sweeping also helps keep storm drains and roadways clear of debris. This reduces localized flooding and improves traffic safety. 

Workers in alleyway moving garbage and recycling bins while an operator drives a small sweeping device that says MCV on the side.
City staff cleaning downtown alleyways.

In addition to street sweepers, City staff deep clean sections of downtown alleyways and sidewalks each month. Staff use a Triverus Municipal Cleaning Vehicle to pressure wash alleyways and heavily soiled sidewalk areas. 

The City purchased three new “Portland Loo” public restrooms to improve access to bathroom facilities in downtown Bellingham and the waterfront. The Loos will be installed in early 2024, providing much needed options for restroom facilities in downtown Bellingham. They will be installed at:

  1. Waypoint Park 
  2. Along Railroad Avenue at the intersections of Magnolia Street (adjacent to the WTA downtown station) 
  3. On Chestnut Avenue (in the parking area outside the vacant Bank of America parking lot). 

The installation will include improvements to lighting and ADA access in loo locations. Regular janitorial and security services will be provided to ensure loos are properly used, cleaned and maintained. 

The Portland Loos are designed to prevent problems commonly experienced with public restrooms. Their design discourages crime with graffiti-proof wall panels and open grating. They are also easy to clean and the parts can be easily replaced or upgraded when needed.

This action was identified in the 2014 Downtown Bellingham Plan and the 2023 Downtown Safety Strategy as an important addition to public health infrastructure. Bellingham City Council approved the purchase of restrooms for the downtown core at their March 27, 2023 meeting (see Agenda Bill 23671). 

Keeping Sidewalks Litter Free

Did you know it’s the responsibility of a property and/or business owner to keep sidewalks in front of or adjacent to their property litter-free? See Bellingham Municipal Code (BMC 10.60.070) for more information.

Other relevant Municipal Codes for property and business owners:

  • BMC 10.60.050 — Placement in receptacles – Receptacle standards.
  • BMC 10.60.060 — Sweeping into gutters prohibited.
  • BMC 10.60.130 — Property owners’ duty to keep premises litter-free.  

Graffiti Removal Reporting Requirements

Business and property owners are required to remove graffiti within seven days per City of Bellingham ordinance. The City funds the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s graffiti removal program. The program supports painting, buffing, or chemically removing graffiti tags. There is no cost to business or property owners.

For more information about property owners’ responsibility to remove graffiti:

  • See BMC 10.28.020, which declares graffiti visible from any public place a nuisance.
  • See BMC 10.28.030, which outlines the quick response required by the property owner.   

Pollution Prevention

The City provides technical assistance and stormwater facility inspections to help businesses reduce pollution and comply with regulations. Business owners can prevent polluted runoff from leaving their site by keeping outdoor areas and storm drains clean.

Economic Development

For city-wide business resources, visit the Economic Development webpage.

The Downtown Retail Strategy (PDF) was developed to strengthen the retail mix downtown in an effort to improve: 

  • The overall attraction of living-wage jobs. 
  • Residential investment. 
  • Street activity. 
  • Fiscal health of the district.  

The strategy helps identify the types of ores likely to be most successful in a focused retail area. It does this by considering the specific trade area of downtown and the demo- and psycho- graphics of the target market.

Bellingham Opportunity Zones: Portions of ​Bellingham’s downtown and waterfront, the Samish Way urban village, and the nearby Lummi Nation have all been designated as federal Opportunity Zones. Investments in these areas qualify for substantial tax incentives under this federal program.

Multi-family Tax Exemption Program: Get an 8-12 year property tax exemption on the residential value of new multi-family construction.

B & O Tax Reduction: New businesses and branches that locate in Downtown, Old Town, Waterfront, Samish Way or Fountain are eligible for a graduated tax credit of 90% for the first year, 75% for the second year, and 50% for the third year of operation.  Applications must be received prior to the business opening. Contact the Business License Services / Tax line at 360-778-8012 for more information.

Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) Reduction: Take advantage of automatically-reduced Transportation Impact Fees (TIF) in these areas. The less transportation impact your project has, the better. Check out this program’s FAQ’s for details.

The Downtown Main Street ProgramThis program allows any business to write-off a portion of their State B&O taxes in support of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership (DBP). Contact the DBP at 360-527-8710 for more information.

The Parking Services webpage provides information about short-term and permit parking in downtown Bellingham.

For additional questions about parking operations, contact Parking Services in the Finance Departmentparking@cob.org or (360) 778-7780. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For parking enforcement questions contact the Bellingham Police Department, parking enforcement section, 360-778-8800.

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership (DBP) is dedicated to furthering the vibrancy and growth of our downtown. Everything they do is rooted in the idea that our community — Downtown Bellingham — is a place unlike anywhere else.   

DPB’s Work

They work to enhance, promote, and advocate for a vibrant city center through development, promotion, support, and celebration. 

DPB’s Mission

Their mission is to champion the health and vitality of downtown Bellingham through the promotion of commerce, culture, and celebration.  

DPB’s Vision

They have a vision to make Downtown Bellingham a thriving, healthy community where people from all walks of life can experience a wealth of opportunities to work, shop, learn, and play.  

The DBP is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Their operations are supported through an economic development services agreement with the City.   

Businesses throughout the City may use public sidewalks and parking areas with an approved right-of-way use permit.

The Commercial Right-of-Way Use Permit guidelines were established prior to the pandemic; however, sidewalks and streateries (dining areas within on-street parking spaces) flourished during this time in response to operating restrictions. They are allowed to continue, subject to annual review and approval.

Arts and Culture

Explore the arts and culture of Bellingham through the City Center public art collection, iconic facilities, and links to additional art and tourism resources.

The annual Mayor’s City Center Awards honor and showcase outstanding achievements and exceptional private projects that have led to the revitalization of Bellingham’s City Center Neighborhood. 

The Mayor selects property owners, businesses, and/or organizations as awardees. Criteria is based on:  

  • Outstanding restoration. 
  • Rehabilitation or renovation of an existing building. 
  • Creating unique residential and commercial spaces within existing buildings. 
  • Activating adjacent public spaces. 
  • Other actions that improve the quality of life in Bellingham’s City Center. 

In 2017 the City hired a consultant, Hargrove International, to lead a planning process with the goal of helping to grow cultural heritage tourism as an economic driver in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Partnering with Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism and over 26 major stakeholders, the City has created a five-year Cultural Heritage Tourism Strategic Plan that will be implemented over time by Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, the City and a growing group of stakeholders.

Cultural Heritage Tourism (CHT) Strategic Plan (3,130k PDF)​

Take a historic tour of Downtown Bellingham through historic photographs.

Resources for Historic Buildings in Bellingham

​Bellingham is home to a myriad of historic buildings dating back to the 19th century. These buildings give our community a unique and authentic character and help preserve our community’s past. To encourage historic preservation and make use of already-existing buildings, Bellingham offers incentives for the preservation of historic buildings including: special tax valuations, permitting, building code flexibility and more.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official listing of historically significant sites and properties throughout the United States, and is maintained by the National Park Service. The National Register includes districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that have been identified and documented as being significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and/or culture.

Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is honorary, and offers no preservation protection. The National Register Overview (PDF) contains additional information. Staff Contact: Michael Houser, State Architectural Historian: michael.houser@dahp.wa.gov or 360-586-3076

​In 2012, the City of Bellingham received a $10,000 grant from the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) to complete a survey and inventory of historic resources in the CBD Neighborhood (now known as the City Center Neighborhood). The project involved completing inventory forms (reconnaissance level) and taking photographs of approximately 450 properties in the CBD Neighborhood, as well as portions of the Sehome and Sunnyland neighborhoods.

Downtown Historic Resource Survey and Inventory