Bellingham: Fun and funky
The revival of downtown

by Kate N. Nichols

The Starbucks on the southwest corner of Holly
Street and Railroad Avenue revitalized the corner
that had only a gaping hole surrounded by chain
link fencing after a fire destroyed the former
building in the 1990s.

Businesses moved out of downtown Bellingham in rapid succession in 1988 to Bellis Fair Mall. “You could throw a cannon ball down Railroad Avenue and not hit a thing,” according to business owner Ken Bothman.
Although consultants told the city council it would take seven years for the downtown area to bounce back. It took closer to 18. But now downtown is experiencing a revival. Downtown merchants and pedestrians are enjoying the city’s renewed vibrancy as more residences and retail stores are getting built or revamped and opening up.

Downtown openings
Choosing to open a store downtown is not always a practical matter. Nancy Bjerke’s decision to open a knit shop downtown was made from her heart, but it has been a good business decision. In her first year in a street front location, Northwest Handspun Yarns has grown tremendously.
Although the shop opened a year ago, Bjerke has been a presence in downtown Bellingham for six years. She started in the basement of the Bellingham Hardware Building five years ago in a cupboard-size space selling yarn, knitting and weaving supplies, looms and spinning wheels. She hosted a Tuesday night knit group that spilled into the hallway. During those years she built her clientele from her connections to customers, students in her classes, and weaving and spinning guilds.
“Anyone opening a store has to be very determined,” Bjerke said. She worked as a commercial real estate agent while she kept her eye on her dream of opening a “real” knit shop downtown. Every day she did something toward her vision; she taught classes, read journals, she found ways to keep the dream part of her, even if it was just in her thoughts.
When it came time to move last year spinners helped her pack boxes. They were her biggest support. Now it has shifted to knitters, who also provide most of the store’s income. Knit Night is still a big hit. Bjerke sees middle-aged women taking up knitting again and joining the group. Three high school girls attend on a regular basis.
She feels that, “like the Vietnam era of the 1970s, there is a major increase in fiber arts since the events of 9/11. That event led people to want to go back to their roots, to quieter times and to do things that people do together. Knitting is social and calming.”
After the mall’s arrival wiped out downtown Bjerke didn’t see it start to revive until four to five years ago when “more housing was built, the Saturday market brought more people, and services started opening up.”
“It’s good for people to live and work downtown,” said Bjerke. She and her husband lived in downtown for six years in the Mt. Baker Apartments 24 years ago. She remembers when a Safeway was located where the Public Market is now. At the top of Bjerke’s list of the joys of living downtown is walking out your door for “coffee, yarn and yoga.” She and her husband, a commercial real estate broker, are thinking of moving back.
She believes the Northwest is becoming a destination area. This summer she had people “from all over the world stopping in,” who mentioned seeing her ad in Spin-Off magazine, which is distributed internationally. Next summer she intends to put a map up in her store to keep track of where people come from.
While an ad for her shop may draw customers to downtown Bellingham the first time, downtown must do much of the work to convert first-time visitors into regular customers. That is why Bjerke is a member of the Downtown Renaissance Network. The network maintains flower baskets, employs cleaning crews, sponsors events, and provides training for retailers. Bjerke is also a member of Sustainable Connections, which sponsors the “Buy Local” campaign.

Businesses see rejuvenation
Down the street from Bjerke’s shop is Gary’s Men’s and Women’s Wear on Holly. Owner Gary Lupo said, “In the last two years the aesthetic feeling of downtown has changed for the better. It is the start of renaissance.” News stories about downtown used to be “about drug sales, now they are about building a 20-story building on State Street.”
Lupo’s specialty shop has been in Bellingham for 29 years. It started with men’s wear, but added ladies wear 18 years ago when the mall came in “so there was more reason for people to come to downtown.”
“More people, more restaurants and retail, more people using the museums and library, it makes for a good healthy downtown,” Lupo said. “Before corporate businesses come into downtown, local merchants will build the foundation.” He has seen Bellingham grow 25 percent in the 29 years that he’s worked there. He likes the size of downtown and would be happy if it grew at the same rate.
LaFiamma Pizza sits next to the Farmer’s Market on Railroad Avenue; its heated deck is a great place to watch market activity. The signage on the yellow building emphasizes its specialty: wood fired pizzas. Ken Bothman is co-owner of LaFiamma Pizza. The business’s success is partly from catering to what he believes is the kind of restaurant most successful for downtown: “family-friendly, but with stylish qualities that adults like – and great pizza.”
Bothman is “intimate with this one block of downtown” and does his best to improve it. He was on the committee to build Depot Square, the permanent structure for the Farmer’s Market. He helped ensure that the structure and parking lot were environmentally sound.
He believes that as a business owner he has an obligation to keep the area around his restaurant looking nice, and when each business owner does the same it has a positve impact. “I’m giving to my one thing, when you add it up, it makes a difference,” said Bothman.
“Desirable activities will attract people to downtown and they will outnumber the less desirable,” said Bothman. He sees people filling in the gaps downtown, “Honeymoon Meadery, restaurants, fun clothes stores – it will change one step at a time.” Continued investment and activity have gradually changed downtown from its sleepy days.
More housing being built downtown is a positive attribute for Bothman. He chose to live downtown, which he values because he can walk to everything. He appreciates the diverse housing going up in Bellingham. Kulshan Land Trust is interested in some housing for moderate incomes. The Archdiocesan Housing Authority of Bellingham maintains three apartment buildings for low-income tenants; some are mixed use.
Bothman believes that Bellingham is safe from another exodus of businesses like the mall created because “locals won’t pick up and move. LaFiamma is here and there is nothing more to it. “
“We [local businesses] give a lot back to the community, we spend a lot in services – attorneys, accountants, marketing and buying products,” Bothman said. “The community supports local businesses.”

Farmer’s Market gets boost
Downtown Bellingham has benefited the Farmer’s Market, but Bothman points out, “it is a balance between the market growing downtown and a growing downtown contributing to a successful market. They have both profited from the growing population.”
Two days after Breadfarm started baking bread in July 2003, they brought their bread to Bellingham Farmer’s Market. “Breadfarm is mostly wholesale, but it is rewarding to get food directly into the mouths of the customers,” according to owner Renee Bourgalt.
In July, the city opened the Depot Market Square as a permanent structure for the Farmer’s Market. The pavilion building emulates the original 1892 railway depot, which once sat on the spot. It is leased by the Farmers’ Market for 39 weekends a year. Mid-summer 88-95 vendors participated in the market.
This year the season was extended from October through December. “The board felt they owed it to community to extend the season for the support they gave us to build a permanent structure,” said Bourgalt who is on the Farmer’s Market board. Manager Robin Crowder confirmed that the community has given its support in general sales; there was a 28 percent increase from 2005-2006.
“There is a community push for what is local, what’s in season and buying from people who grew it,” said Bourgalt. The market supports that goal. There are 45-60 vendors signed up for November/December.
The Farmer’s Market is not only important to Bellingham because it draws people downtown, but it is a place to incubate young farmers and small businesses. “It’s not getting any cheaper to open a business downtown” said Bothman, and the Farmer’s Market gives entrepreneurs a chance to start up small businesses.

Appealing to the young at heart
Left Right Left opened December 9, 2005, surrounded by fences as construction on the Gateway Building on Railroad Avenue continued. Owner Gretchen Bjork said the construction lasted longer than she had expected. But that she did get some business from people walking to the Farmer’s Market and word of mouth from those who discovered, the “fun and funky” shop that she created.
As a student at Western Washington University Bjork said, “I noticed downtown was missing the kind of store that I like to shop in.” After graduation she went home to Tacoma. But she returned here to start her business because she believes that “Bellingham is thriving. It has music and arts events and in a half hour you are in the middle of nature.”
She supports the idea of sustainability and carries Adbusters and Worn Again shoes made from recycled materials. Tires and scraps of material never looked so good. As a member of Sustainable Connections she appreciates the work the group does, “through ad campaigns and events it is educating people to buy local and promoting more sustainable business practices.”
Supporting local business and business people requires all levels and kinds of business to make it successful, and Bjork is concerned that the 23-story Bay View Towers being built on State Street isn’t thinking local. “The building is promoted as an investment rather than a place to live. The public meetings have left a lot of unanswered questions. Including that there is no visitor parking.”
She and her husband investigated buying retail space there, but were discouraged to learn that they would also have to buy a condominium. They could not afford both, and perhaps other local merchants could not either. In the end, all the retail space was sold to Seattle investors.
“Bellingham is a special place. I have faith that there are enough active people – socially, politically to stay aware and keep the character [of Bellingham],” said Bjork. She believes that Bellingham needs people walking around its downtown to keep it thriving and she’s done her best to create a business that will attract walkers.
The red building with a rocket roaring across the front on Holly Street attracted attention long before The Rocket Doughnut Shop opened October 21, 2006. The owners, Jim and Lucky Swift, and manger, Jason Schultz, wanted a quiet opening to work out the recipe kinks before a grand opening. But despite no advertising, they are doing a brisk business. They plan on expanding into the space next door for more seating. People like the “nostalgic Malt Shop feeling,” said Schultz. The Swifts own the building and have the advantage of a parking lot next door. They are also revamping a drive thru on Samish Way to open Rocket Doughnuts and Coffee.
“I was surprised how many kids like the space, they are attracted to the bright red and yellow colors.” Schultz said. The ‘50s theme reflects Swift’s love of early science fiction. Movie trailers from his collection run continually on the televisions mounted near the ceiling.
They chose the store’s location because they liked the “energy of downtown. The mall and Meridan Street look like any city in the U.S., but downtown Bellingham is distinct,” said Schultz.
Business owners who care about their storefronts, a new appreciation of downtown’s unique character, the permanent, expanded Farmer’s Market, fun and funky new specialty shops and new residences are all contributing to confidence in downtown business.
Bjerke speaks for all business owners when she says, “I hope downtown will continue to grow in a positive, vibrant way and be a center for business, entertainment and activities for the general population.”

Bobby Weetheim tosses pizza crust at LaFiamma Wood Fire Pizza while Nicole Agnew preps for the lunch rush. LaFiamma owner Ken Bothman has been active in downtown’s revitalization.






With the addition of the Depot Market Square building, the Bellingham Farmer’s Market now extends its season through Christmas.





Left Right Left owner Gretchen Bjork opened her shoe and accessory store in the new Gateway Building, which was the Bellingham Inn in a former incarnation.




Liz Fong, Kit Schumann and Jake Port are ready to serve up fresh doughnuts and coffee at the popular Rocket Doughnut Shop on Holly Street.