The former Georgia-Pacific plant in Bellingham Bay has become a major topic of conversation and opinion. We’ll give you the facts, you give us your opinion!

The New Marina
It’s still in the early design stages, but here is what they’ve planned so far: 379 moorage slips with an average size of 50 feet, plus nine moorage slips over 70 feet for bigger boats. The port is working to match the size of slips to market demand and will have slips ranging from 25 feet to 100 feet.

Public Ownership of Waterfront in Bellingham Bay
The following ownership percentages apply to the waterfront from Fairhaven to Little Squalicum:
Port - 49.2%
State - 18.2%
City - 5.7%
County - 0.7%
Other Public - 0.7%
Private - 25.5%

That is a total of 74.5% public ownership. Once the county plans for parks, trails and roads are satisfied, some property may be sold or leased for a variety of uses.

Saving Red Bricks
The red brick buildings will be spared demolition in the first phase as port authorities look into restoration. The port will save the buildings that fit into the plan for new uses of the area while also preserving the industrial history.

Dredging Whatcom Creek
Part of the waterway cleanup will include dredging portions of Whatcom Waterway. Areas that have potential for long range use, such as for cargo and cruise ships, will be given priority. Roeder Avenue Bridge has been deemed an area valuable for salmon habitat so it will not be dredged.

NOAA Ship and Bay Clean Up
Public tours will be held on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Ranier on Saturday, October 29 from 9-11am and 1-4pm. Ranier is located at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal at 629 Roeder Ave. The Shipping Terminal also has an information display about the bay cleanup. For more info on the tour and display, call the port at 676-2500.