The red brick facade and cream trim of Bellingham’s Old City Hall is recognizable to any local, but the decorative exterior has deteriorated significantly. Bellingham City Council unanimously approved a grant request for restoration in a Monday city council meeting.
The sandstone lintels, brick facade, decorative steel columns and windows on the building’s exterior especially need repairs, Bellingham Public Works Director Eric Johnston wrote in a staff report to the council.
“We’re anxious to move this project forward,” he said.
Repairs for the historic building erected in 1892 will cost $850,000, but only a $283,000 grant was requested, which is about one-third of the project’s total cost. The city previously committed $200,000 in its current budget cycle and $285,000 in the next one.
Public Works evaluated the building most recently in December 2020 and grew concerned that falling debris from the sandstone structures could potentially harm someone.
Public Works will be proposing funding to complete repairs on the iconic Bellingham building again in 2023-2024, Johnston said.
