Groundbreaking Ceremony: The Manning Apartments at Barkley Village and a New Urban Core in Bellingham, WA

Barkley Village Expands as the Talbot Group Begins Construction on a New Apartment Community; Designs for New For-Sale Townhomes Advance Within Whatcom County

BELLINGHAM, WA, UNITED STATES, December 1, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Members of the media are invited to attend the official groundbreaking for The Manning, a new 142-unit market-rate apartment community in Barkley Village. The event will include remarks from the development team, public officials, business leaders, and institutional partners, beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, followed by a hosted reception.

The Manning is the latest residential project in Whatcom County’s original urban village and signals the first major development under the City of Bellingham’s recently expanded entitlements and Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE), encouraging investment and development in the region. The community will offer studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom homes designed by MG2, feature underground parking, be constructed by Exxel Pacific, and is financed by Goldman Sachs. Leasing is expected to begin early in 2027.

KEY SPOKESPEOPLE & QUOTES:
“Today’s groundbreaking caps a banner year for us at Barkley Village. The Manning is the result of three years of planning, design, and financial analysis. It follows on the city’s recent approval of our urban village entitlements and expansion of the city’s MFTE program, setting Barkley Village on a new growth trajectory. We credit the City of Bellingham’s leadership and our partnership for what we’re seeing today.”
- Stowe Talbot, Co-Owner of the Talbot Group

"The Manning demonstrates the power of tools like the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program to incentivize the development of additional housing Bellingham needs in the places where we want growth to occur."
- Kim Lund, City of Bellingham Mayor

“We are pleased to support the Talbot Group on this significant milestone that will bring a contemporary mixed-use residential community to Barkley Village to support new levels of density and activity in the growing Bellingham market. This groundbreaking represents an exciting new phase in the development of this next-generation urban community, and we are proud to support the Talbot Group as their visionary plan for Barkley Village unfolds.”
- Liana Perrault, Senior Lending Advisor in the Goldman Sachs Private Bank

“Having started for Haggen in 1995 when the Barkley Haggen opened, it has been very endearing to see the growth of the village over the years. The Talbot Group’s vision for the village has created a place where residents can get their needs taken care of without ever having to leave the community.”
- Trevor Cowin, Store Manager of Haggen

“This groundbreaking is a sign of big things to come for Barkley Village. Our new entitlements allow more than 2,400 additional housing units, and MFTE benefits will make these homes easier to finance. In fact, we are starting to design for-sale townhomes that should deliver at the same time as The Manning. The story of Barkley Village is one of partnership and long-term vision. With some of the best tenants in Whatcom County and a great relationship with the City of Bellingham, this vision is attracting development and investment partners to help us build for the benefit of our neighbors and the municipality.”
- Ben Besley, CEO of the Talbot Group

“We're excited for the smart development we expect to see in Barkley Village in the coming years as it grows into a more walkable and bikeable neighborhood with a wide range of housing types, amenities, and activities. Barkley Village represents a model for urban village development as a sustainable, mixed-use district designed for the future where people want to live, connect and shop.”
- Blake Lyon, City of Bellingham Director of Planning and Community Development

“Barkley Village is defining its own urban center outside a primary city as a next-generation hub of growth—but even better: more urban, more sustainable, more integrated. The Manning stands as a signature example of the vision, vitality, and investment energy transforming the district into the region’s newest urban center of gravity.”
- Dean Jones, President & CEO of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) and Founder of The Futurecast Forum

WHY IT MATTERS:
Barkley Village’s updated Urban Village Plan enables up to 3,000 new homes, expanded office and innovation space, and a fully walkable mixed-use district that anchors Bellingham’s long-range growth strategy. With nearly 40 acres of preserved habitat, new multimodal streets, and enhanced public amenities, Barkley Village is emerging as a model for sustainable, community-centered development in Washington State.
The region is also gaining recognition as a “Goldilocks” retirement destination, balancing affordability, lifestyle quality, healthcare access, and a vibrant cultural environment—factors that strengthen long-term housing demand.

WHEN:
December 2, 2025
3:00 p.m. — Remarks & Groundbreaking Ceremony
Reception to follow

WHERE:
Barkley Village — The Manning Development Site
Rimland Drive in Bellingham, Washington
From Interstate 5 take Exit 255 – Sunset Drive / WA-542:
1. At the end of the exit, turn left onto Sunset Drive (heading east)
2. Continue on Sunset Drive for about 1 mile
3. Turn right onto Woburn Street
4. Continue straight into Barkley Village (you’ll see Barkley Boulevard, the movie theater, and commercial district signs)
Approximate travel time from exit: 3-5 minutes.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
• Interviews with development executives, city officials, institutional partners, and local business leaders
• Photo and video capture of the ceremonial groundbreaking (including drone imagery)
• Access to project renderings and Barkley Village master plan visuals
• Opportunities for follow-up briefings on future phases of development
• Rationale for Bellingham’s propensity as a new urban center of growth
• Highlighting Whatcom County’s attractions, balancing lifestyle, culture, and recreation

For more information and to RSVP, contact Dean Jones.

Dean Jones
Realogics Sotheby's International Realty
+1 206-390-1826
dean.jones@rsir.com
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