# Building Tourism, Art, and Community — Bellingham's Downtown Renaissance Plans The City of Bellingham Tourism Commission gathered in the Mayor's Boardroom on September 24, 2024, for their regular monthly meeting, joined virtually by commission members Craig Jewell and Stephanie Morrell. The meeting showcased the ongoing momentum in Bellingham's cultural and tourism sectors, with presentations highlighting record-breaking performance at local institutions and ambitious plans for downtown activation and the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Chair Peter Frazier led the meeting, which brought together commission members, city staff, and representatives from Mount Baker Theatre and the Whatcom Museum — two of Bellingham's flagship cultural institutions that receive significant tourism funding support. ## Downtown Activation Projects Enter Second Round The meeting opened with an update on the second round of downtown activation projects, a $750,000 initiative spread across three years to beautify and enliven the city center. Darby Galligan, Senior Planner with the Planning and Community Development Department, presented the draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for the second round of funding, which will make $250,000 available for new projects. The first round, launched in May 2024, has already begun bearing fruit. "The museum is completed," Galligan reported, referring to a mural project at the Old City Hall museum. "Lee Memorial Park stairs are going to be painted in October. I think they might even get started like as soon as the contract is ready. They're hoping to start like next week." Other first-round projects are progressing on schedule: alley activations are planned for mid-to-late fall, the Lakeway overpass project awaits Washington State Department of Transportation review and will likely move to summer 2025, and small sculpture installations called "billies" are in production for spring placement. Only the bike track project remains on hold due to weather dependency, with staff considering a May launch to coincide with bike-to-work events. The second-round RFP has been refined based on lessons learned from the first round. The application period will run for five weeks in October, with pre-submittal consultation sessions scheduled for October 22 and 25. Ni…