Starting January 2026, the City of Bellingham has begun construction of Salish Landing Park at the R.G. Haley and Cornwall Avenue landfill cleanup sites. Within the decade, this site is projected to become Bellingham’s largest waterfront park.
“The history began when Georgia Pacific property was sold to the Port of Bellingham along with insurance to help with the cleanup,” says Nicole Oliver, Director of Parks and Recreation. “It was determined that we were going to make that into a park. In 2014, we did a master plan with the community. The parks department led that. Then the cleanup over several years was changed over time as more information and best available science came as far as making sure that it was resilient to sea level rise and wave action.”
The cleanup site started with the R.G. Haley plant treating wood from 1955 to 1985 and the city landfill operating from 1954 to 1965. Since the 2000s, the City and Port of Bellingham have assisted with on-site cleanup before proposing a master plan for the park space in 2014.
“It’s the most expensive project the city of Bellingham has ever undertaken,” says Oliver. “It’s a complex series of excavation, reshaping, capping, armoring with rock, different layers of rock.”
Salish Landing Park is projected to be completed by late 2028 or early 2029.
Cleaning an Industrial Legacy
Phase one of construction involves completing the cleanup, building necessary items such as the parking lot and amenities, and assessing the environment and trail connections.
“There’s a structure that goes just out into the bay to protect that beach,” says Oliver. “And then the rest from the south end all the way up to the foot of Cornwall Avenue is more heavily armored, with more sturdy rock and plantings for habitat improvement. Then there are trail connections that lead down from the top of the site down to the water. So, there’ll be several different little ways you can get to the water.”
Construction has started by capping the landfill site with quarry rocks and armoring the R.G. Haley site with clay and activated charcoal. These processes will create surfaces safe for construction and ultimately for recreation.
“We’re also working with Public Works to improve the Wharf Street Road and create a safer way to get up Wharf Street, to intersect with the South Bay Trail at the top of the hill,” says Oliver. “We also improved pedestrian bike connections along Cornwall that will then link into the waterfront district where the trackside is.”
Construction Planned for Three Years
Concept maps for Salish Landing Park include trail connections such as the main loop crossing through the straight mile of land.
“The park is almost three times the size of Boulevard Park,” says Oliver. “It kind of has a similar open grassy field, and then there is a very large beach on the south bend that will have outdoor volleyball built into the cleanup, building a big sandy beautiful beach.”
Exact structures are to be decided as the City of Bellingham constructs the spaces for a parking lot and buildings.
“I’m sure there will be some sort of restroom picnic structure,” says Oliver. “The master plan also calls for concessions. We’ve also been talking quite a bit about boat storage, because there’s going to be a lot of great opportunities for hand launch boats in this location that won’t be interfering with the more industrial waterfront to the north. So, we think it’s going to be a great spot to launch your canoe or go paddle boarding, and it’s just a great spot for picnicking.”
Landing on “Salish Landing”
The name “Salish Landing Park” started with a submission to public comments before approval in 2023. It references and was approved with regional Coast Salish people and reflects the park’s future use of boat launches.
“It is going to provide a very expansive natural place for people to interact with the water and enjoy the views and the sunsets on Bellingham Bay,” says Oliver. “The view is spectacular looking out toward the water – you’re really out over it, and there’s nothing in between you and the water and the views of Lummi Island and sunsets. You’ve got trees behind you, so it’s going to create a lot more space for the public to enjoy the waterfront.”
Salish Landing Park is planned to include interpretive signage to be unveiled for the public’s interest.
“A lot of the interaction and public engagement has been more about the cleanup,” says Oliver. “We’ve brought people out on the site and explained what was happening. People are intrigued by the opportunities to create better habitats along Bellingham Bay. I think the public excitement to have such a big expansive space for a community park down on the water has been really genuine. I think people are excited. Just today in the tour that we had, people were really amazed at just how expansive of a site it is.”
Residents can visit the City of Bellingham website for updates and drone footage as the construction of Salish Landing Park continues.
