Waterfront Land Acquisition

Capital Project WATERFRONT Proposal LAND ACQUISITION 2017-2019 Active Minds Changing Lives ACQUISITION 2017-19 Biennium Higher Education Project Proposal Waterfront Land Acquisition Western Washington University Institution Western Washington University Project Title Waterfront Land Acquisition Project Location (City) Bellingham 1. Problem Statement (short description of the project – the needs and the benefits) As the third largest public university in Washington in terms of enrollment and the smallest in terms of campus size, Western Washington University must expand its physical campus in order to continue to meet its responsibility and mission to provide access to quality higher education in the northwest region of the state. Western’s enrollment has grown to 15,332 students (14,194 FTE students) in the 2015-16 academic year, representing a 13% enrollment increase since the 2001-02 academic year and far exceeding the University’s planned enrollment capacity of 12,500 FTE students. Responsible stewardship of Western’s future involves not only planning for future enrollment growth but also consideration of the State’s educational attainment goals, including the Results Washington goal of producing 149,000 postsecondary credentials by 2023. Refer to Appendix B. Given that Western’s main campus is landlocked by neighborhoods and the Sehome Arboretum, it has limited options for expansion. The University’s strategic plan specifies that enrollment growth beyond the 12,500 main campus capacity must consider capital development opportunities for additional capacity. Western has a unique opportunity to acquire 6 acres of redevelopment property on Bellingham’s downtown waterfront through a combination of State investment ($4.5 million) and the sale of existing WWU property. This land acquisition would not only address capacity constraints on the University’s main campus, it would also allow the University to further partner with the Port of Bellingham, the City of Bellingham and other stakeholders in one of the most innovative and collaborative economic development and environmental restoration projects in the country. The State has already invested millions of dollars in the Bellingham waterfront effort and having a public university presence would greatly enhance the partnership’s educational and economic development potential. Western has long been viewed as a key partner and an ideal anchor tenant in the redevelopment of the waterfront due to the University’s unique ability to expand educational and community partnerships and to help drive activity and traffic to the downtown corridor. The downtown waterfront also provides a strategic location that would extend Western’s reach and influence into the community it serves while simultaneously increasing community access to Western’s programs and expertise. The strategic location would also greatly enhance the potential for expanding public/private partnerships with local industry and employers, as well as other higher education partners in the community and region. The land acquisition request is for 6 acres in the Institutional Mixed-Use Zone at the former site of the Georgia Pacific pulp and paper factory at Bellingham’s downtown waterfront. This acquisition would enable WWU to expand to the waterfront and address growing capacity and operational challenges on the WWU main campus. Western is working with the Port to purchase the property at a very reasonable cost that is below market value at a time when the Bellingham and Whatcom County real estate markets are some of the most expensive in the State. Taking advantage of this opportunity, therefore, would result in direct savings to future operating and capital costs. 100% of Office of Financial Management 1 June 2016 ACQUISITION 2017-19 Biennium Higher Education Project Proposal Waterfront Land Acquisition Western Washington University the proposed parcel is considered buildable/suitable for development, which would result in further cost savings and efficiency. 2. University programs addressed or encompassed by the project Western’s primary purpose for acquiring property on the Bellingham waterfront is to expand capacity of, and access to, academic programming. The project would also address critical programmatic and space utilization challenges on WWU’s campus by freeing much-needed classroom, lab, and office space for other disciplines. Western is increasingly taking an interdisciplinary approach to academic programming throughout the university, and accordingly, cross-disciplinary programming will be a key component of programmatic planning at the WWU waterfront facilities. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the future University waterfront facilities, Western has developed the following overarching guidelines for the establishment of functions in the new facility, as opposed to identifying specific academic programs that should be relocated: • Promote and enhance Western’s reputation through the creation of facilities that serve as a “destination point” for people within the local community, and from around the region, state, nation and world; • Enhance the quality of a Western education through collaboration, and in doing so, create an environment that fosters constant learning; • Improve access to WWU resources and strengthen community relations and community capacity by shared use of resources; • Create space and access that does not currently exist at Western’s main campus; • Configure space for both critical use and unique use; • Promote relationships with off-campus partners; and • Generate foot traffic that contributes to economic development in the Bellingham community. 3. Supported by planning: a. Campus/Facilities Master Plan Given that Western’s main campus is landlocked by neighborhoods and the Sehome Arboretum and by the fact that Western’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP) identifies 12,500 students as the maximum capacity on main campus, WWU must consider developing for additional capacity and the Bellingham waterfront offers a unique opportunity to meet this need. (Appendix C) Specifically, land acquisition along the Bellingham waterfront has been part of Western’s 10- year capital plan since 2009-11, with Western receiving state operating funding in the 2007-09 biennium specifically for the purpose of waterfront campus planning. Western has been dedicated to this issue for more than a decade. In 2004, Western Washington University was invited by the Port of Bellingham to participate in the planning and redevelopment of a 220-acre former industrial site located on the Bellingham waterfront. Western’s commitment was raised to another level in June 2013 when the WWU Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding authorizing the transfer ownership of a Western property located at the corner of Hannegan Road and Bakerview Road in Bellingham into Western Crossing Development (WCD). WCD, a non-profit corporation created by WWU and the Port of Bellingham, put the property up for sale with proceeds of the sale being used to Office of Financial Management 2 June 2016 ACQUISITION 2017-19 Biennium Higher Education Project Proposal Waterfront Land Acquisition Western Washington University purchase property in the Bellingham Waterfront District. That property is composed of six acres located in the Institutional Mixed Use Zone, which the Port of Bellingham is transferring into Western Crossing. See Appendix D. Today, planning for Western’s presence on the waterfront is fully integrated into all waterfront plans—the Port and City of Bellingham have completed a Master Plan and Environmental Impact Study for the entire 220 acre site of which WWU’s portion is estimated to be up to approximately 12 acres. To date, a proposed location for the new university facilities have been identified, existing facilities have been analyzed for the potential of adaptive reuse, and an inter- local development entity with the Port of Bellingham (Western Crossing Development) is tasked with overseeing the development project for mutual benefit. b. Ongoing academic and/or research program need and Strategic Plan Western continues to plan for land acquisition, facility development and academic programming at the Bellingham waterfront. This effort will directly enhance Western’s ability to meets its strategic goals of: • Building upon Western's strengths to address critical needs in the State of Washington; • Expanding student access to rigorous and engaging baccalaureate and graduate education; • Fostering and promoting life-long learning and success in an ever-changing world; • Applying Western's expertise and collaborative approach to scholarship, creativity, and research in ways that strengthen communities beyond the campus; and • Serving as a model for institutional effectiveness, innovation, diversity, and sustainability. See Appendix E. Western’s expansion to the Bellingham Waterfront District is an on-going, three-phased process: Phase I – The WWU Technology Development Center - Western Washington University already serves as an anchor on the Bellingham waterfront in the form of the Technology Development Center which is part of the Technology Development Zone, a State and Federally funded initiative in Washington State. The facility, which is shared with Bellingham Technical College, was dedicated in the fall of 2009 and is now home to a research arm of WWU’s College of Sciences and Engineering. Phase II – The WWU Center for Community Engagement and Innovation - In Phase 2 WWU envisions the construction of a multi-purpose

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