Concept site plan for the new Whatcom County Jail on Hannegan Road, showing the layout of housing units, medical, kitchen, sheriff vehicle parking, and staff parking. Marked "concept only." (Map: Whatcom County)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Whatcom County Council votes August 11 on whether to accept programming for the new Justice Project Jail Plan. A yes vote clears the way for the design-build team to move forward with blueprints, permits, and site prep.
The vote follows a July 28 council meeting. Members reviewed operating costs, staffing projections, and deferred scope items there. Those items ranked as high priority earlier in planning but didn’t fit the budget.
Two of them, a Rapid Resource Center for reentry services and a second jail courtroom, are now back in play. Council directed design firm STV to look at adding them back in.
Bringing them back could cost about $4.3 million in added square footage. Or it could mean an estimated 40 fewer jail beds if the space comes from the existing footprint instead, according to reporting by the Bellingham Herald.
Budget and Site Details
Council set a preliminary construction budget cap in May. It set $205 million for the jail and $34 million for the behavioral care center.
Some of that budget could shift toward the added features instead. The county could trim the behavioral care center itself, either by cutting 16 beds or dropping the proposed 23-hour crisis center, according to reporting by the Bellingham Herald.
The county plans to seek additional state funding when it becomes available, particularly for the Rapid Resource Center.
The new jail is planned for a 19-acre site on Hannegan Road in Bellingham. That replaces an earlier concept that would have put the facility on LaBounty Drive.
The proposed layout targets roughly 450 beds, including dedicated space for behavioral health needs. That number is now part of the ongoing trade-off discussion.
The county has continued working with STV to finalize design details ahead of construction milestones.
Part of a Larger Plan
The jail and behavioral care center are two pieces of Whatcom County’s broader Justice Project. The initiative aims to reshape how the county handles criminal justice and behavioral health.
The plan also includes expanded substance use disorder treatment, supportive housing, and diversion programs. Advisory groups guide the effort, including the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force and the Justice Project Oversight and Planning Committee.
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