BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An unofficial skatepark near the Bellingham waterfront could be getting a major upgrade.

The Bellingham City Council voted on Monday night to allow the city to formally acquire land under the Roeder Avenue Bridge from the Port of Bellingham.

The space, located next to the bike pump track and portal container village, is currently used by a grassroots group called the “Northwest Skate Collective” as an unsanctioned skatepark.

But Mayor Kim Lund has directed her staff to work with the group to develop the land into a permanent, city-owned skatepark with a new design.

Some members of the council expressed concerns about noise from underneath the bridge posing a problem, but council member Hollie Huthman says it’s actually an ideal location.

“The acoustics underneath that bridge aren’t that bad, as somebody that has played and attended shows under there,” Huthman said. “And actually, the sound doesn’t carry very far, so it’s kind of the perfect spot to be loud.”

City of Bellingham spokesperson Melissa Morin says the city will fund up to $1.5 million using some combination of park funds, Real Estate Excise fees and other local funding. The skatepark collective is expected to raise the other half of the funds through fundraising efforts.

The Port of Bellingham will receive a park impact fee credit in exchange for the roughly 16,000 square feet in land.

The city currently runs one skatepark at the Civic Athletic Complex. Morin says the city expects to have a completed design in early 2026, but there’s no estimated opening date yet.