The Army Street Project

The Army Street area includes a parcel of approximately 0.4 acres on the NE side of Roeder/Chestnut that is currently owned by BPDA and is intended to serve as a catalyst for  a larger development. The City of Bellingham conveyed ownership of the parcel to the BPDA in March 2010.  Other parcels in the Army Street planning area are owned by 8 separate entities. These properties are strategically located but vacant or underutilized.

This project is first on the list of BPDA priorities because it’s at the hub juncture of the three BPDA priority areas (Downtown District, Old Town District and Waterfront District), within easy walking distance connecting all three areas, and could span Roeder/Chestnut and the railroad tracks to interconnect these districts physically and economically as an early phase of development for the Waterfront District.  The "Army Street" project would require a collaborative development program and plan combining the interests of these multiple owners into an integrated development project, including a mix of mutually supporting public and private projects.

The BPDA has prepared a general plan outlining the approach underlining the Army Street Project concept.  This plan is intended to serve as a first step in the consideration and discussion of a potential development program for the environs around and including the BPDA-owned parcel.  The maps and diagrams included in that concept plan are as follows:

• Aerial Base Map
• Project Influence Area
• Land Use Interrelationships
• General Development Plan
• Parcel Ownerships
• Cross Sections
• GDP and Environs

 
Conceptually the Army Street Project could include these public facilities:

• Adaptive reuse of The Granary, providing meeting space and facilities for shared use by adjacent included development (hotel-conference facility, university facilities, and a City library) justifying and offsetting cost of restoration and providing an incentive for adjacent development by avoiding duplicated costs for these shared facilities.
• Multi-level Public-Private Parking Structure, along the Holly Street frontage providing an estimated 4-5 level structure for the adjacent developments and shared public use, and providing a platform for construction of mixed-use buildings and plaza. This parking structure, which could encase the rail line, could also provide noise mitigation for rail operations that would otherwise limit proposed uses of adjacent properties.
• Western Washington University expansion, as a possible build-to-suit project developed in phases by the private sector with a leaseback to the university to defer capital outlays by the university.
• City library, with benefits from a central location in a significant activity center and benefitted by proximity to other complementary and supporting uses, e.g. the availability of The Granary meeting space and parking.
• Urban plaza(s), pedestrian connections (e.g. Central Avenue promenade) and weather protected pedestrian access crossing the tracks and Roeder/Chestnut and connecting uses such as The Granary, hotel-conference center, college facilities, etc.

Private sector developments (subject to research and planning to test feasibility, cost, and timing) conceptually would include:

• Hotel-conference center, with a possible location and economic incentive by being connected to and sharing use of The Granary for meetings and functions thus avoiding cost duplications for otherwise expensive and underutilized space.
• Office over retail mixed-use projects, developed in phases for possible multiple buildings.
• Residential over retail mixed-use projects, developed in phases for possible multiple buildings.