There’s a new bike repair kiosk on the 3300 block of Northwest Ave. thanks to A-1 Builders.

A-1 Builders has been part of the Bellingham community for 60 years. To celebrate their 60th anniversary, they constructed an 11’ x 11’ kiosk featuring a bike stand with air pump and enough tools for basic bike maintenance.

The kiosk was built entirely with volunteer labor—employees, subcontractors, vendors, and clients all pitched in.

We talked with Rick Dubrow, owner of A-1 Builders about the project.

Why a bike repair station?

Bicycle commuting is good for everyone. HG Wells said, “When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race.” That’s how I feel. Cycling is one of the best things that anyone could do for the environment, and it has tremendous health benefits—something that I’ve experienced personally.

How much did this cost?

Nothing. We expect the final product to cost between $16,000 and $17,000, but we didn’t pay anything out of pocket. It’s been crowd-funded by the generosity of our clients and subcontractors.

I read on your blog that your vision would be stations like this all over town. What would it take to make that a reality?

The idea needs a champion. We’ve been glad to prove this concept, and we can design variations of it, but maybe an organization in town would be interested in carrying forward the idea to a grander scale.

What do you guys have planned for your 70th anniversary in 2025?

[Laughs] My dream is a coffee shop on the south facing side of our building focused on design & sustainability. There’s just a planter there now, but I could imagine a gathering place for local non-profits and designers, or anyone looking to swap ideas.