LEED neighborhood development assessment: the north anchor

Downtown Bellingham is in need of revitalization. For the past 20 years retail stores along Cornwall Avenue have struggled to compete with the Bellis Fair Mall just 2 miles away. In order for Bellingham\u27s historic downtown to reclaim its position as the retail core of the city, major changes need to occur. Over the past year the City of Bellingham has teamed up with Western Washington University in order to discuss the possibility of bringing vitality to Bellingham\u27s struggling downtown. The following report discusses the potential LEED-ND certification of the proposed North Anchor Development and the immediate area along Cornwall Ave. LEED-ND itself is a neighborhood development rating system that incorporates the important traits of smart growth, urbanism and \u27green\u27 building into its certification. By using this system of rating we can concentrate on strengthening Bellingham\u27s retail core in a way that reflects the community\u27s sustainable orientation as well as one that meets the needs of a growing community. The LEED-ND framework was incorporated at every level of the project\u27s development process, resulting in a conscious development plan. The location of our project is in an infill site along Cornwall Avenue, removing the trend of urban sprawl. The North end of this site is Flora and York Street, and the South end is Magnolia Street. Within this site the proposed action will be to build a new Anchor retail store and parking structure surrounded by multiple new buildings and renovating previously existing building to more efficiently use space. All new buildings and renovations will strive to become LEED certified, providing the community with less ecological burden. The North Anchor project site is also located very close to the downtown Whatcom Transit Authority hub, allowing people from all over the community to easily access the site. The North Anchor will be designed at a very human level, allowing pedestrians and cyclists\u27 easy access and travel in and around the project area. There is also a proposed bike share program, as well as a trolley. Combined these improvements to Bellingham\u27s downtown will reduce vehicle traffic as well as reduce the communities carbon emissions. With these and many other progressive ideas the North Anchor retail development will satisfy the requirement for LEED-ND Certification, and with a few other alternative actions the neighborhood has the opportunity to become Platinum LEED-certified