Bellingham Wa Real Estate Blog

Thursday, May 24, 2007

New Retail In Birch Bay

Most have seen the new buildings and remodeling taking place in the old Peace Arch Outlet Center. This is a great sight to see for the residents of Custer, Birch Bay, and Blaine; as well as our Vancouver residents to the north.

Two new stand alone buildings will house the new Bob's Burger & Brew, as well as Starbuck's. To the north of the complex is a new grocery store. Although building on the grocery store is stalled, a new owner has taken over and the project will continue.

Residents in the area now have some new stores to choose from, including Candi's Jewelry and Gift Gallery, Best Image Framing, All-Star Sports and Seasons Fashions, and Worldly Treasures. The goal is to make the center more for the local residents and less as an outlet mall for the Canadians.

One thing is for sure, Birch Bay Square has started its transformation and residents will be please to see that work is actually getting done; rather than simply empty talk. Many believe that as the 2010 Winter Olympics approach, north Whatcom county will need a lot of new infrastructure to sustain the growth. I am excited to see what happens.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

New Housing Development In Blaine Proposed

A proposal for a new housing development in Blaine has been submitted by developers Ken Hertz and Ken Schorr. Over 1,000 new homes and 48,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as over 11 miles of trails, is scheduled to be built on over 400 acres north of H Street.

The development is called Grandis Pond. The current proposal may take up to 8 months for the City of Blaine to approve. If started, the development would be phased in over a 17 year period, with about 60 housing units being built per year. Phase 1 would be about 340-plus houses in 7 neighborhoods, as well as 30-plus acres of open space. With all these plans in the works, Phase 1 would not begin uni til 2009.

To keep up with popular demand for smart growth, there would be nearly 80 acres of parks and open space, with another 150-plus acres for habitat protection and wildlife protection areas.

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