It Takes A Community

Bellingham's push for a waterfront park began in the late 1960s, when industry closures left vacant waterfront property available. Civic leaders acquired land and committed funding, and this community effort created Boulevard Park and Taylor Avenue Dock as parts of the park system. Developing a waterfront park on former industrial land was difficult, but it succeeded through shared community goals, civic leadership, and the determination of Byron Elmendorf, director of the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department from 1978 to 2000. After Boulevard Park was built, Elmendorf focused on a walkway linking Taylor Dock to Boulevard Park and persisted despite obstacles that included complex ownership, permitting, environmental impacts, industrial contamination, and skepticism. After his retirement in 2000, Taylor Dock finally opened in 2004.

Bellingham, Washington · United States