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Fairhaven: From boom to bust to boom
New round of revitalization keeps shopping district humming
Lights adorn the Fairhaven shopping district to add some holiday cheer.
By Kate Nichols
Fairhaven was like a movie set. You could lie down in the middle of the street and a car wouldn’t come by,” Fairhaven Runners owner Steve Roguski said, describing Fairhaven when he discovered it 10 years ago.
Fairhaven was like a movie set. You could lie down in the middle of the street and a car wouldn’t come by,” Fairhaven Runners owner Steve Roguski said, describing Fairhaven when he discovered it 10 years ago.
The red brick buildings built more than 100 years ago, in 1890, provide that movie-like setting. That’s when Fairhaven first boomed because everyone thought the railroad terminus would end up there. But when the railroad ended elsewhere, the town died. The buildings remaining from that era have charmed visitors ever since. The older buildings have also set the look that planners and neighbors want to maintain in the core of Fairhaven.
An urban villageDeveloper Ken Imus started redeveloping the area in 1971 when he rehabilitated Sycamore Square on 12th Street and Harris Avenue. He accumulated 40 pieces of property, mostly in Fairhaven, renovating old structures and constructing new buildings. His changes made the area more desirable and started the district’s renaissance.
Now 170 condominiums are part of the mix, according to Ryan Martin, a real estate agent with Windermere. “Fairhaven is an area that is still selling well in Bellingham,” he said, noting with all the interest there are only 15 condos available out of the 170.
The addition of housing in Fairhaven has created an urban village for residents who have services and shops within walking distance.
In 2002, Imus built Harris Square on the southwest edge of the shopping district. At its center is Village Family Health, owned and operated by Michael and Frances Gregory, a clinic providing family healthcare and urgent care.
Frances Gregory, office manager, is enthusiastic that Fairhaven has become an urban village: “It is wonderful, we love being a part of Fairhaven. We live here, we can ride our bikes to work. I get my hair cut at a salon in Fairhaven, use the nearby gym, go to the local store, and we buy books at Village Books. Michael loves to kayak on the bay. It’s great to be a part of such a community.”
Many of the businesses in Fairhaven send their employees to practitioner Michael Gregory for work-related injuries. Gregory is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). He has worked in emergency care and can provide urgent care for the community.
The Gregorys started the clinic in December 2006. Nine months ago Mary Lou Papich, ARNP, joined the practice. They are both accepting new patients, including Medicare.
Although there are two other general practitioner clinics in Fairhaven, there is no competition between them. Gregory explained, “There is enough business for everyone. In part because there is a shortage of general practitioners in Bellingham, but also because of the friendly attitude that Fairhaven business owners have toward each other.”
Locally grownA notable point about development in Fairhaven is that, so far, the interest and money has been local. Imus has been selling off property to other local developers. Because he still cares a lot about Fairhaven, Imus usually puts conditions on the property he sells so new developers build on his vision and keep a balance of businesses in Fairhaven.
One of the developers to have bought property from Imus is David Ebenal. When Ebenal fell in love with Fairhaven he began making dramatic changes to the historic district.
He bought the block of 11th Street Village Books is located on, and built the Village Books building. He constructed the Fairhaven Gardens building, Fairhaven Square and Fairhaven Heights. He added 67 condominiums to the housing available in Fairhaven.
Ebenal’s most ambitious project, however, was the major renovation of the Waldron Building on 12th Street. Charles Waldron started the building in 1891, but never finished above the second floor. The first floor was used until 1974, but sat empty since then.
Because the building was considered historically valuable Ebenal took on the lofty project. The Waldron was within 10 years of collapsing, and it took four years for permitting and reconstruction to finish the building. The exterior red brick wall was shored up from the inside with earthquake-proof framing. The building was finished this fall, and in addition to commercial space on the first two floors, it has six luxury condominiums on the top two floors.
To top it off, he built a companion building immediately behind the Waldron – the Young Shopping District Building.
“Dave takes a lot of pride in what he did in Fairhaven,” said Ginger Pennington, vice president of special projects for Ebenal Enterprises. “He did more than the minimum. The buildings are beautiful, with fine details.”
In the Young Building, most of the condominiums have sold, only one of the 14 is left. At $368,000, Windermere Realtor Joann Wyatt said, “It’s a steal.” The Waldron Building has three out of six luxury condominiums still available.
Most of the Waldron Building street-level commercial space is rented to Whidbey Island Bank, which will open in early 2009. In addition to the construction of the two buildings, Ebenal created a pedestrian alley, McKenzie Alley, which connects to Finnegan’s Alley and provides access to underground retail space. Two businesses have moved into the alley – Aisling Eyewear and the newest store, opening just last month, Covet Boutique. In addition, Rustic Coffee Bar and the Nostalgia clothing store are located on the street front.
Sharp-eyed owner rents in the Young Building Another newcomer to the shops along 11th Street is Jimmy’s Personal Care Salon. Jimmy Nguyen has a sharp eye for detail so he knows a good space when he sees it. When he walked into the street level of the Young Building on 11th Street, even though he was in an unfinished space surrounded by concrete walls, he could envision a warm, vibrant spa. He spent from February until the store opened in July researching materials, ordering the furniture and customizing the flooring and draperies.
Nguyen is not unfamiliar to business in Bellingham as he owned the House of Orient restaurant downtown for 12 years. Although he sold it in February to focus on this new business venture, he still cooks for special events.
Even though Nguyen was tired of working 12- and 16-hour days at the restaurant, he’s always been devoted to customer service and didn’t want to give up that part of business. He’s planned the salon for three years and trained in Seattle while he ran the restaurant.
The shop’s large windows allow people walking by to get a good look at the spa, which has provided him with business that he didn’t anticipate.
“I expected that 90 percent of my customers would follow me from the restaurant,” he said, “but it has been the opposite of what I expected – 90 percent of my clients have been from people walking by and 10 percent have been my old customers.”
Nguyen joined the Fairhaven Business Association when he first opened his business. “I’ve never had such a warm business welcome before,” he said. “Blessings Salon has even recommended clients to me.”
Nyguyen’s next dream is Jimmy’s Martini Bar, which may also happen in Fairhaven, but he hasn’t found the right place yet. He’ll know it when he sees it, he says.
District is regional drawSteve Roguski wouldn’t lie down in front of his business, Fairhaven Runners and Walkers on 11th Street today because of Fairhaven’s metamorphosis into a bustling community.
With so many cars, merchants’ and shoppers’ main complaint with the area is lack of parking. Finding a parking space has gotten easier since the majority of construction is finished, yet the days of parking right in front one’s destination may be over.
Roguski’s business has quadrupled along with the number of cars in Fairhaven. But Roguski doesn’t count on just Fairhaven for his business; he doesn’t even count on just Bellingham. He sells about 1,000 pair of shoes a month, so he counts on a regional draw for customers.
“We have regular customers from Whidbey Island, Stanwood and B.C.,” he said, “and a good cross section of Bellingham business. My customers come from a solid 30 miles, and additionally out to 50 miles.” He hasn’t noticed if the additional housing in Fairhaven has increased his business.
“I’ve been asked about opening another store, but I’ve looked around, where would it be?” he said. Since there are already two other running shoe stores in Bellingham, Roguski says it makes sense to keep his focus “in keeping this a strong store.”
When Roguski first came to Fairhaven, he enjoyed the grassy field in the center of Fairhaven before it became the Village Green. But he enjoys the improvements – the benches, covered area and stage – because they bring events that people enjoy, such as the summertime movies, Wednesday farmers’ market and music. He uses the green as the starting line for the 15k race the store sponsors.
Roguski likes new people coming into the area. He believes that it pays to market Fairhaven as a whole because if one business does better, they all do.
“Growth is a good investment for the future because people who love it will protect the area,” he said. “I’m an eternal optimist, looking on the bright side.”
Fairhaven’s futureAll that is left of the old Fairhaven Hotel, built during Fairhaven’s first boom, are pictures, but it has sparked the imagination of developers. Whatcom County acquired the building in 1937, but it burned and had to be demolished in 1953. Now an empty Texaco station sits on the site, along with three railroad cars.
But Ralph Black and his brother, Mike, have plans to construct a four- or five-story building with retail on the street level, second level offices and condominiums on the upper floors, using a design that reflects that of the old hotel.
After a “two- to three-year litigation process and finalizing the acquisition of the property, we can go ahead with our plans,” Ralph Black said.
Black explained that the hotel had “several looks and numerous uses” over the years. The look that he would like to emulate featured double decks ringing the building, but Black would simplify the original’s “over the top” ornamentation. Black has a copy of the original blueprints from Ken Imus.
The Blacks held an initial meeting with community members, and the developers have sent out a series of questionnaires to get design ideas from the Fairhaven community. Responses are just coming back.
With a break for the holidays, it will be several months before the design work is completed, and probably two or three years before construction starts.
While Black is delving into Fairhaven development, others are on their way out. Imus, fed up with the city’s permitting process, says he is done developing in Bellingham.
“Most of Fairhaven is developed now,” said Ebenal’s Pennington, and Ebenal doesn’t have plans to do any more developing in the area. But there are plans for future building in Fairhaven including Fairhaven Harbor, a luxury condominium development on the waterfront, and Black’s proposed new building on the site of the original Fairhaven Hotel.
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