Downtown Forward – Current Actions

Our actions and accomplishments since February 2024 include commitments outlined in Mayor Lund’s Executive Order 2024-01, as well as other City-led actions focused on making downtown a safe, welcoming, thriving neighborhood.

Ongoing commitments

These are downtown programs and services the City provides or funds continually. 

Hygiene and cleaning services

The City installed three new public restrooms, called Portland Loos – one at Waypoint Park, and two in downtown, along Railroad Avenue. These bathrooms are designed to be easily cleaned and resistant to vandalism and are accessible most hours of the day. Janitorial staff continue to provide regular service and respond to needs at these facilities to ensure they are well-maintained and used properly.

City crews regularly clean downtown streets, sidewalks and alleys. Staff pick up litter, do deep cleaning in alleys and on sidewalks, and address illegal dumping concerns downtown several times each week. The City also contracts with the Downtown Bellingham Partnership to provide litter cleanup, graffiti removal, and cleaning services.

Services for substance use disorder and other behavioral health needs 

Bellingham Fire Department opened the downtown safety office near the Commercial Street Parking Garage in late February 2024. It is a hub for community paramedics and alternative responders, who are stationed in the downtown public safety office seven days a week. By being downtown, community paramedics are closer to their clients and the services clients regularly use, enabling them to spend more time providing care and strengthening client relationships. 

A behavioral health specialist began working at the Central Library in February 2024, providing support, referrals and staff training for about 40 unique individuals each month. This innovative program is jointly funded by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Health and Community Services and is staffed by Lake Whatcom Center. 

Community policing and public safety 

Re-introduced in January 2025, this five-person team patrols downtown seven days a week during daytime hours. They respond to calls for service as well as proactively reach out to employees, business owners and community members to provide support and direction to additional resources.

A private security firm, contracted by the City, provides security at public parking garages and Maritime Heritage Park. They regularly monitor these facilities for illegal activities, report repair and janitorial needs, and direct those in need to additional services where able. 

Support events and activities to enliven downtown 

As of January 2024, the Whatcom Museum offers free admission, extended hours, and free programming on the first Friday of each month. 

The City contributes logistics support, such as traffic control and street cleaning, and other sponsorship support, for special events like Pride IN Bellingham parade, Procession of the Species, Mondays at Maritime, the Memorial Day parade, St. Patrick’s Day parade, and Coast Salish Day at Whatcom Creek, and many more. 

Create engaging and beautiful public spaces 

The City continues to fund the Downtown Bellingham Partnership to maintain planters, hanging baskets, and landscaping beds throughout the downtown, ensuring the public realm looks beautiful, cared-for and welcoming. 

The City provides funding for festive holiday lights at Depot Market Square, and year-round lighting of street trees on select downtown streets. This creates a festive atmosphere and additional visibility to improve the sense of safety and welcoming environment, especially during the nighttime and dark days of winter. 

Provide funding to support businesses and tourism downtown 

The City provides ongoing funding for the operation of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, which provides support for downtown businesses, as well as marketing and events, such as Downtown Sounds, First Fridays and Wine Walks.

Phase 2 Commitments

Downtown Bellingham is safe and welcoming.

Downtown bike patrol

This downtown-focused team of officers patrol downtown seven days a week. The bike patrol unit returned in January 2025, part of our ongoing commitments to downtown Bellingham.

Downtown Bellingham has active public spaces and thriving arts and culture.

Bellingham Fan Zone preparation

We are gearing up for the world’s game in 2026. As an official Washington state fan zone, Bellingham will be hosting waterfront watch parties and expanding the excitement downtown, too. The City is one three primary sponsors and funders of the fan zone. 

Bellingham Central Library Renovation

Planning and fundraising are underway to reimagine the Central Library’s ground floor and complete upgrades throughout the rest of the interior. A refreshed Children’s department and relocated Teen space will anchor the improvements, creating a welcoming, modern environment where youth and families can learn, connect, and thrive in one of downtown’s most-used public spaces. 

Downtown art and activation grant funding

The City has committed nearly $1 million in grant-funded projects that bring joy and beauty to the community and encourage exploration of downtown in new, innovative ways. These projects include artwork, interactive exhibits, events, and other features on sidewalks, plazas, parks and other highly visible spaces. See a list of funded projects, learn more about each one, and see photos and videos of completed projects on our downtown activation and beautification program webpage. 

May Mondays at Maritime

Thanks to a partnership between the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, Maritime Heritage Park comes alive with food, music, face painting, hair braiding, balloon animals, yard games, and activities. It’s the perfect way to wind down and connect with your community. Free and open to all ages, this series of events is set for three Mondays in May 2025. Visit the Downtown Bellingham Partnership website for more information. 

Downtown waterfront skatepark

The City is working with designers to develop a conceptual design for a new skatepark to be built under the Roeder Avenue bridge on Bellingham’s waterfront. As a collaboration with Northwest Skate Collective, the City will purchase and own the skatepark as a City park, and the Collective will contribute up to half the total funding and help maintain it. Construction of the park is contingent on identifying funding. 

Public Facilities District

The Bellingham Whatcom County Public Facilities District (PFD) helps us develop and enhance cultural infrastructure in downtown Bellingham, especially through investments in two cultural gems: The Mount Baker Theatre and the Lightcatcher Museum. Recent changes to state law will secure this funding source for decades to come, allowing us to not only complete important repairs and improvements to these existing community assets, but also create opportunities for other existing or future downtown cultural venues that could contribute to local tourism, economic growth, and community enrichment in our downtown core.

Downtown Bellingham is a top location to work, shop and invest.

Vacancies and redevelopment

The City will focus on developing strategies to encourage the reuse and redevelopment of vacant and underutilized buildings and properties downtown. This includes an assessment of the best uses of the Federal Building and other City facilities, plus research on new or upcoming redevelopment incentives. In 2025, the City has commited resources toward a commercial economic study to begin this process.

Downtown Bellingham is walkable, bikeable and resilient.

Downtown Transportation Plan

This effort will evaluate downtown streets, sidewalks, alleys and other infrastructure and identify priorities and opportunities for each mode of travel. With a holistic look at how everyone moves through downtown, we can make informed decisions about changes to our public streets and sidewalks that will help downtown thrive. The plan will include opportunity for community feedback, and result in a preferred network describing the role of each street and how the buildings and public spaces around it can function best together. 

Holly Street bike facility

The Holly Street bike lane pilot study has ended. We saw good results: more people biking and slower traffic downtown. We’ve already made some safety fixes and will do more in early summer when it’s warm and dry enough to add new pavement markings.

Downtown Bellingham is a desirable, lively and affordable neighborhood to live in. 

Old Town residential development

Several new developments planned for the Old Town District will bring more people to our city center and provide up to approximately 600 new residential units withing walking distance of downtown. The developments will be constructed through eight city blocks over the next 10 years, and developers broke ground on the first stage in March 2025.

Unity Street affordable housing development

Bellingham Housing Authority is planning a four-story rental housing development at the location of their former offices at the intersection of Unity and Flora Streets. The housing will be targeted to households earning at or below 60% of area median income and will include about 63 one-and two-bedroom units. The City has committed substantial funding to support the housing development and long-term affordability of the project.

Multi-Family Tax Exemption changes

Upcoming changes to the Multifamily Tax Exemption Program (MFTE) will provide additional incentives to create housing downtown by changing the affordability thresholds for smaller units to be more financially viable for developers. Since it began, the current MFTE program has resulted in the development of 1,244 units downtown with another 195 under construction.  

Contact the Mayor’s Office

Please contact the Mayor’s Office for more information.

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