WWU: Waterfront News

WWU Participation in Bellingham's Waterfront Development

News and Announcements The latest from the Bellingham Herald Master plan for Bellingham waterfront ready for scrutiny 7/15/2010 Bellingham waterfront plan calls for limited redevelopment in the next few years 5/19/2010 WWU News Western Crossing board meets, waterfront planning continues Port of Bellingham News Bellingham Waterfront Planning Effort Moves Forward 7/15/2010

Envisioning Western’s future is an exciting process, especially in the context of our growing Bellingham community and the ongoing discussions regarding the future of its waterfront. In the spring of 2004 a committee (the Waterfront Academic Planning Committee) was appointed at WWU to discuss and explore Western's potential for participation in the waterfront development process, and in 2006 Western confirmed the waterfront as a location for possible expansion in its 2006 Strategic Master Plan.

Since then WWU has continued to move forward with plans on possible expansion on the waterfront and early in 2009 Western convened a smaller planning group out of the original waterfront committee. This newly formed group, known as the Western Crossing Planning Committee, is approaching the project in phases and with a narrowed academic programming focus. Possible options for waterfront development have been outlined in a draft white paper available below which outlines three phases of development:

Phase I – The WWU Technology Development Center

Western Washington University is an anchor on the Bellingham waterfront in the form of the Technology Development Center which is part of the Technology Development Zone, a State and Federally funded initiative in Washington state. The facility, which is shared with partner Bellingham Technical College, was dedicated in the Fall of 2009 and is now the home to the research arm of the College of Sciences and Technology.

Phase II – The WWU Community Learning Center

Western envisions a Community Learning Center facility, one that offers high tech educational delivery and an environment that fosters constant learning for people from all walks of life from the city, region, state, nation and the world. This facility, which would be built in partnership with other higher education (e.g. BTC, Northwest Indian College, Whatcom C.C.), non-profit and private sector entities, would be a destination point that creates new economic stimulation for the city and region and provide a connection to the global community. This economic production would be created by virtue of the customer volume generated through the programming and outreach activities conducted in the facility.

Phase III – WWU and the Green Economy

The current planning committee identified a focus of planning around “The Green Economy.”

The vision calls for the possible relocation of either Huxley College of the Environment, the College of Business and Economics, or possibly both, to the waterfront. Another possible option is that neither college would be relocated, but rather, the synergies created between CBE, Huxley and CST would lead to the development of an institute or center focused on The Green Economy. Woodring College of Education could also play a role through its work with schools and adult educators and focuses on knowledge and learning in a Green Economy. WWU believes focus on Green Economy development will create a destination point for people from around the country and the world and further serve as a tool to drive help drive the economic engine of the region.

 

View the entire White Paper here.

 

To learn more about the history of the project please visit the following link: History of WWU Participation here

 

Learn About Other Involvement in Bellingham's Waterfront Redevelopment

• Port of Bellingham
• City of Bellingham
• Waterfront Advisory Group
• Waterfront Futures Group
• The Waterfront District

 

Questions? Comments?

Contact: steve.swan@wwu.edu