The pulp mill, right on the waterfront, is closed, but the tissue mill is still going. The tissue mill is situated, like a wall, between downtown Bellingham and the waterfront. Actually, since the pulp mill closed, the site does not look that much different than it did before. The unused pulp mill buildings are basically hidden behind the tissue mill buildings. From downtown, things look about the same even though the pulp mill buildings have stopped production.
Steam still rises from the tissue mill and the power plant.
People, who don't know any better, may think the steam is smoke. The plant still looks about the same, from the downtown and east side vantage points. This does not just effect GP employees. Local businesses benefit from GP employees as customers. Here is another park like idea.