The next phase of demolition along the Bellingham waterfront will begin this summer.

Tuesday, Port of Bellingham commissioners will vote on authorizing a demolition contract for the former Georgia- Pacific West Inc. mill site.

Contractors have removed dozens of buildings, tanks and structures since the port acquired the site in 2005; G-P paid for the first two years of demolition, as part of the acquisition agreement.

The next demolition phase involves:

Removing all three dilapidated warehouses on the wharves over Whatcom Waterway.

Demolition of the chlorine cell house, where chlorine was manufactured for use in the G-P pulp bleaching process. The land is contaminated and will undergo a cleanup planning process with the state Department of Ecology before it is redeveloped.

Demolition of the heavily damaged two-story brick chip screen building, where chips were sorted before going to the digester. Before the port acquired the site, a large hole was knocked through the brick to remove equipment. Some bricks will be retained for possible future use.

Port staff is recommending the bid, which will include some work at the airport, go to Nuprecon LP of Snoqualmie. The waterfront portion of the project was bid at $411,000, which the port will pay for using a state department of Community Trade and Economic Development grant.

Nuprecon has a regional reputation for managing large-scale demolition projects efficiently, while taking extra steps to ensure that as much material as possible is diverted from landfills through reuse and recycling. Although the project should be completed in September, the proposed port contract allows for a time extension if it is needed to allow for additional recycling and reuse of materials.

During the first demolition phase, Bellingham-based Northwest Recycling recycled hundreds of tons of material.