 Whatcom County Identifies Alternative Site for New Jail
Whatcom County has entered into a tentative agreement to purchase a property on Hannegan Road in Bellingham as an alternative site for the new jail. The location has a number of advantages compared to the property on La Bounty Drive, which was purchased for a new jail more than a decade ago.
“Better construction conditions, a simpler permitting pathway, more compact construction timeline, and more convenient location – these factors will all save taxpayer money,” said County Executive Satpal Sidhu. “I know that our community wants to see this project completed as soon as possible, and this new site also helps with that.”
Building the jail at the new property is conservatively estimated to net up to $2,500,000 in capital construction cost savings, with further upside possible through with the potential to shorten the project timeline. The County has already begun conversations with the City of Bellingham regarding the permitting process for the new facility. The administration will request the Council’s approval of the purchase in the near future.
The new site is located at 4160 Hannegan Road just south of the Hannegan Speedway. The County commissioned an appraisal of the 19-acre lot, and the fair market value was determined to be $4,070,000, which is the agreed purchase price pending approval.
The property is just a short distance from Whatcom County’s Behavioral Health Campus on Division Street, home to the Anne Deacon Center for Hope, Didgwalic Wellness Center’s MOUD Services Clinic and the future Whatcom Behavioral Care Center—a diversion and treatment center that is being designed and built at the same time as the new jail as part of the larger Justice Project.
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