Trader Joe’s sees double that

Yes, Virginia. There will be two Trader Joe’s in Bellingham. Not only does Trader Joe’s corporate website now list a new “Bellingham (North)” location at 4255 Meridian St., but a company spokesperson also confirmed that “the new location will be an additional store” and TJ’s has no plans to to close the existing location on James Street. No specific opening date has been announced for the new location, but it won’t be in time for Santa’s 2024 Jingle Jangle candy shopping. Both the website and the speaker list the opening period as “2025”.

Speculation about the new store began in June when a demolition permit was issued for the interior of the former Bed Bath & Beyond location, followed by an application for a state liquor license in September, both of which listed Trader Joe’s #274. There is no word on whether the Bellingham (North) designation means the store will primarily serve the many British Columbia shoppers from the city’s north who fill the current store’s parking lot.

Mercedes dealer is moving

Mercedes-Benz of Bellingham is moving a block down Iowa Street. Go Auto, the Canadian car dealer chain that purchased both the Mercedes and Toyota dealerships in the Roosevelt district in 2023 (its first outside Canada), confirmed that construction is scheduled to begin in April 2025 and the completion date is March 2026. Permits have been issued by the City of Bellingham for the demolition of existing buildings at 1200 Iowa St., adjacent to the current joint Mercedes/Toyota building at 1100 Iowa St.

A Go Auto spokesman said the planned 26,000-square-foot, single-story Mercedes-Benz facility will allow Bellingham-based Toyota to occupy the entire existing building.

PNWaffle Boutique is closing

The PNWaffle Boutique at 1230 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham will close its doors at the end of November. The boutique, which according to its Instagram page features “over 40 local artisans offering crafts” as well as locally sourced culinary products, was founded by Ruby Elvrom, who also runs a sister business, Waffles in Paradise. Elvrom said the Waffles in Paradise stand at the Bellingham Farmers Market is already closed and Nov. 30 is expected to be the last day at the retail store.

Tulip Valley Farms wins international awards

Tulip Valley Farms in Mount Vernon was named “the most scenic U-Pick tulip farm in the world” at the World Tulip Summit in October in The Hague, Netherlands, and its founder, Andrew Miller, was awarded the “Visionary Leadership Award for Agritourism” for the company. The honors at the industry event come within two years of Tulip Valley Farms’ founding in 2023. Miller’s “vision of what tulip farms can offer – both as stunning destinations and cultural experiences – has brought a jolt of energy and enthusiasm to the entire industry.” “said Ibo Gülsen, chairman of the World Tulip Society, in a press release.

National Parks Fund Names CEO

The Washington National Parks Fund, the nonprofit partner of North Cascades, Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks, has named Steve Dubiel as its new chief executive officer. Dubiel replaced CEO Laurie Ward, who is retiring in 2023. WNPF said in an announcement that Dubiel — who has now assumed the position — held previous positions at King County Parks as well as at EarthCorps, where he was executive director for 22 years.

Unemployment is rising slightly

The state’s newly released October 2024 unemployment rates for Whatcom and Skagit counties appear to be consistent with the previous two October figures. Whatcom was at 4.4% and Skagit was at 4.6% of non-seasonally adjusted unemployment, up 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, from September. State data showed both counties had the same unemployment rates in October 2023 and in 2022 they were just one-tenth of a percent of the 2024 rate.

Frank Catalano writes about economics and related topics for CDN; Reach him at [email protected].