About the Downtown Bellingham Partnership

Since 2000, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership has been the only organization that unites the diverse interests that define our city center. Through our network of members, we present a powerful voice for Downtown Bellingham.

Recognized Leadership:

The Partnership is a strong voice for Downtown and an effective liaison between downtown stakeholders and local decision-makers. As a central clearinghouse for Downtown, the Partnership is the best source of information on upcoming events, public policies, and opportunities.

We work to:

Provide leadership in the development of public policy that affects Downtown.
Generate solutions to problems impacting the Downtown environment.
Ensure a strong connection between Downtown and the waterfront.
Develop design standards to enhance the urban environment.
Assist the Parking Commission in improving downtown parking.
Ensure that Downtown's important role in the economic health of Whatcom County is widely understood.

Bite of Bellingham

Downtown's vibrant atmosphere, variety of attractions, and inviting appearance make Bellingham a prime business location, visitor destination, residential setting, and an important source of community identity.

The Partnership works to enhance the Downtown experience by:

Ensuring a clean and welcoming Downtown through our Maintenance and Beautification Programs.
Attracting thousands of year-round visitors to downtown through the Partnership’s unique events: Downtown Art Walks, Downtown Sidewalk Sale, Bite of Bellingham, Downtown Sounds, and Downtown Trick-or-Treat.
Increasing customers to downtown businesses through cooperative advertising campaigns, our visitor information station, and such programs as Downtown Dollars, a year-round gift certificate program that attracts new visitors and encourages recipients to explore downtown’s variety.

Downtown Sounds Alley Concert

Streetscaping Projects

Downtown Bellingham Partnership Maintenance Crew

Downtown Bellingham Information Station

Individual and business members in the Partnership receive a variety of benefits, including:

Networking Opportunities: Quarterly member only meetings, quarterly newsletters, the best source for information about issues affecting Downtown.
A Voice for Downtown: Support the one organization that represents all of Downtown businesses, residents, and visitors.
An Improved Quality of Life Downtown: Your membership plays a direct role in presenting events, programs, and other promotions that enhance the city center.
Beautification: The Partnership landscapes the Downtown streetscape with hanging baskets, ground plantings and a variety of flower planters.
A Clean and Welcoming Downtown: Our Maintenance Program improves the downtown environment within the maintenance district. Our maintenance crew cleans downtown sidewalks and street furniture. They also function as Downtown ambassadors to improve public safety by providing information to downtown visitors and acting as an extra set of eyes and ears for law enforcement.
Downtown Information Station: The Partnership operates a year-round info station to welcome and orient visitors to Downtown with a central location for information on events, entertainment, shopping, lodging, cultural entities and restaurants. Our knowledgeable and helpful staff provides maps, brochures, calendars of events, online kiosk information and ticket sales.

Business members receive added benefits, including:

An improved business climate due to the Partnership's advocacy for downtown-friendly policies and efforts to attract visitors downtown.
Promotion of Downtown through cooperative advertising, events, and programs that promote the area locally, regionally, and internationally.
A welcoming business environment through our Downtown Maintenance and Beautification Programs which maintain a clean and welcoming environment.
Increased visibility through a free link on the Partnership's website and interactive map and reduced pricing for listings in our downtown map and business directory.
Networking opportunities to help grow your business and make important community connections.
Special member pricing to participate in Partnership sponsored events and promotions such as Downtown Dollars, Gallery Walks, Downtown Sounds and member websites.

Become a member today!

Shopping on Railroad Avenue

Downtown Dollars

Board of Directors

Gary Holloway (Co-President)

Co-Owner & Market Manager, Bellingham Public Market

Cindy Meche (Co-President)

Owner, Sew & Sew

Leslie Langdon (Treasurer)

Secretary to VP of Administrative Services, Bellingham Technical College

Gretchen Bjork

Owner, DIGS & Left Right Left

Robert Brim

CEO, Dealer Information Systems Corp.

George Dyson

Owner, Dyson, Baidarka & Company

Bill Gorman

Marketing Manager, Comcast

Frank Ordway

Regional Director, League of Education Voters

Bob Pritchett

President/CEO, Logos Bible Software

Michael Smith

Principal, Zervas Group Architects

John Thompson

Assistant Director, WWU Office of University Communications

Troy Wills

Branch Manager & Vice President, People's Bank Downtown Bellingham Branch

Heather Wolf

Attorney, Brownlie, Evans, Wolf & Lee

Ex-Officio Members

Terry Bornemann

City Council - City of Bellingham

Carolyn Casey

Corporate Communications Manager, Port of Bellingham

Patrons

Baron & Company

City of Bellingham
Daylight Properties

Community Leaders

Champion Street Center
Comcast

Five Star Development
Greenhouse
Port of Bellingham

Mission Statement

Enhancing, promoting, and advocating for the healthy maintenance, improvement and development of Bellingham's City Center.

Committees

Finance & Administration
Maintenance and Facilities, Budget, Legal, Insurance, and Audit.

Management
Human Resources, Board Nominations, and Program issues.

Resource Development
Fundraising, Member Recruitment, Events, Marketing & PR, and other revenues.

Member Services
Board Development, Networking, Business Retention & Recruitment, Communications, Design.

Contact

Kirsten Walker - Executive Director

Lindsey Payne - Events Coordinator

Cassia Parsons - Member Services

Downtown Bellingham Partnership
Physical Address: 1304 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1201, Bellingham, WA 98227

Phone: 360.527.8710

Fax: 360.527.8709