Eleanor Apartments

Dawson built Eleanor Apartments to give Bellingham's low-income seniors a place they could truly call home. The four-story wood-frame building rises from a concrete foundation and houses 80 apartments, all designed to Universal Design Standards so every unit, hallway, and common area is fully accessible.

The ground floor includes 11 units, two elevators, a welcoming lobby, and a large community room for resident services and on-site property management. Each upper floor holds 23 units plus shared laundry facilities and seating areas where neighbors can connect. Built to Washington's Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards, the building incorporates green design features that improve energy performance, indoor air quality, and long-term durability, keeping operating costs low for residents who need it most. Dawson coordinated installation of energy-efficient mechanical systems including heat pump technology and high-performance building envelope assemblies that exceeded Washington State energy code requirements by 15 percent, and worked closely with the landscape architect to create accessible outdoor gathering spaces, raised garden beds, and covered walkways.

Eleanor Apartments was delivered on time and within budget, meeting all tax credit deadlines and allowing residents to begin moving in as scheduled. The project achieved a 0.0 OSHA recordable incident rate across more than 95,000 work hours. The building earned recognition from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and received the 2018 Housing Luminary Award for excellence in affordable senior housing. Today all 80 units are fully occupied, providing safe, comfortable, and accessible housing for seniors in the Bellingham community.