In the penthouse unit on the top floor of the Waterfront Condominium overlooking Bellingham Bay, one can see old City Hall, a rare view of the top of the Acid Ball and bikers at the pump track.
In October, the first building out of three is set to welcome residents, four years after the original promised deadline. Chris Erdmann, co-founder of blu.ink and managing broker at eXp Realty who is tasked with selling the units, is looking past the drama that has for years mired the project between Irish developer Harcourt and the Port of Bellingham.
The units start at $535,000 for a one-bedroom condo and go up to $1.85 million for a luxury three-bedroom penthouse, according to the real estate listing. To Erdmann, the development showcases the best Bellingham has to offer to future residents.
And while those prices may seem eyebrow raising, they’re actually comparable to similar units on the market with waterfront views along State Street between Bellingham and Fairhaven, according to Peter Ahn, co-owner of The Muljat Group, a local real estate agency.
“We’re running out of areas where we can exhaust these types of opportunities,” he said. “Where else are we going to have brand-new luxury condos that are waterfront and have this proximity to downtown?”
Erdmann also noted the condos are across the street from the Trackside beer garden and there’s easy access to parks and greenways, restaurants and coffee shops.
Block A, the first of the condominium buildings, is scheduled to finish by October, and out of the 28 residential condos spread over three floors, 35% are under contract, Erdmann said. There will also be four retail spaces to lease, with two potential businesses having expressed interest.
For the other two buildings, Block B is targeted to open in April 2025. Erdmann could not say when the final building, currently a slab of concrete, would be completed.
The $40 million project started in 2018 after Dublin-based Harcourt, known for creation of the Titanic Museum in Belfast, purchased the 1.733-acre strip of land near Waypoint Park from the port.
Harcourt’s hiring as a private lead developer of a former industrial site considered key to the growth and economic success of Bellingham’s downtown core has long been controversial among city leaders and residents who participated in multiple detailed planning processes for the waterfront property.
The site 20 years ago was envisioned as a new city centerpiece, with a mix of open space, residences, waterfront industry and even an extension facility of Western Washington University, which dropped out of negotiations for the project in 2022.
The opening of the first block of condos in October — with move-ins anticipated to start that month or in November after the City of Bellingham issues final occupancy permits — will mark the beginning of the end of what has turned into a nearly five-year journey and a soured relationship between Harcourt and the Port of Bellingham.
Originally, the condos were supposed to be finished by 2019, then Harcourt missed construction deadlines on two of the buildings in 2021, blaming delays on the COVID-19 pandemic. The developer missed another key deadline to finish the two buildings by October 2023.
As a result of the missed deadlines, Harcourt had its initial 18.8 acres of waterfront property at the former Georgia-Pacific mill site whittled down to just over 2.4 acres that it already owns: the Waterfront Condominiums and the Granary Building.
Harcourt is also in open litigation with the port over improperly stored materials on port property.
Michael Hogan, the port’s public affairs administrator, wrote in an email to CDN that the port is using litigation and dispute resolution to make sure all parties are following the modified development agreement.
The port is also focused on “implementing the overall community goals envisioned for the Waterfront District Sub-Area Plan with a wide range of uses, diverse housing options and job opportunities while enhancing the connection to Downtown Bellingham,” Hogan said.
Erdmann said even so, most prospective buyers don’t have many concerns about the construction delays, and when he gives them tours, buyers like what they see in the nearly complete building.
“Every construction project has delays,” he said, referencing advice given to him by another developer in the Pacific Northwest. “When it comes down to the final project, that’s what we’re selling.”
Erdmann’s excitement for the future of the waterfront project is palpable. A Bellingham local, he had friends and family working at the Georgia Pacific site, so he’s watched as the area has transformed in the last 20 years.
“It’s really special to be a part of this process,” he said, pointing out the digester tanks that have been saved from the mill.
For those curious about the units, he hosts open houses on Saturdays to give people an idea of what the finished project will look like.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
