DEVELOPMENTS
News about construction projects underway
Posted September 2006
The up-and-coming face of downtown Bellevue
)
A trio of Bellevue-bound mixed use developments will bring nearly 500,000 square feet of retail and more than 2,000 residences to the downtown core along with two boutique hotels and 1.2 million square feet of office space.
The Bravern
It is hard to find anything lacking in The Bravern, a mega mixed-use project featuring an elegant hotel, homes for as many as 790 families, modern offices and a European-style square replete with retail offerings anchored by the crown prince of luxury, Neiman Marcus.
By the time the third quarter of 2008 rolls around, The Bravern will provide area businesses the option of leasing two office towers that supply 745,000 square feet of office space to help quench the city's thirst for more commercial real estate. A planned series of restaurants and high-fashion retailers will open their doors around the same time.
It is believed that the retail offerings, the yet-to-be-named hotelier and even the office tenants all will be driven upscale by the presence of Neiman Marcus. The purveyor of clothing, jewelry and extravagant gifts for the affluent consumer will occupy 125,000 square feet spread across three floors. The Dallas-based company manages 36 stores around the country, the nearest being San Francisco.
Those choosing to live in the 30-story condominium towers could face prices as lofty as $1,000 per square foot The lower seven floors of one of the high rises will house a top-end hotel with valets that can park cars not only for out-of-town guests but also for families residing in The Bravern.
When it is fully online in 2009, Bellevue will know the full potential of The Bravern and all it brings to this Eastside metropolis.
Bellevue Towers
A total of 85 stories of residential living with as many as 560 condominiums are slated for a future address on Bellevue's NE Fourth Street and 106th Avenue Northeast. To draw people to the area and entertain those who buy homes above, the skyscraper will present about 20,000 square feet of retail and 904 parking spots to guard against the hassles of finding street parking.
Design specs are set high for the project, with the goal of earning a LEED Silver certification - a designation awarded to some of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in the country. To get there, developers are constructing a green roof that warms in the winter and cools in the summer, besting industry-standard energy use by 30 percent, all while using the building's design to maximize light and minimize the use of electricity-based lighting.
This $500 million project will offer units ranging from $400,000 to $7 million when construction completes in late 2008.
Washington Square
A 10.5 acre slice of downtown Bellevue is the location for the urban village known as Washington Square. This $1.2 billion project will add five towering condominiums to the Bellevue skyline as well as a 500,000 square foot office structure in a separate building.
In addition to the condos, buyers will have the option to purchase one of 26 townhomes. All told, 900 homes are planned for Washington Square in addition to a boutique hotel.
Given that a thriving Bellevue Square - one of Western Washington's largest shopping malls - is a single block away, shopping opportunities are plentiful. With the redesigned Bellevue Art Museum and the $100 million Performing Arts Center Eastside opening in 2008, cultural options abound.
Not willing to rest on the laurels of the vibrant downtown, Washington Square developers sought to add more to the community. El Gaucho will open its fourth restaurant in the Pacific Northwest in Washington Square, adding to existing locations in Seattle, Tacoma and Portland. A sizeable on-site fitness center will allow those in the vicinity to work off the extra calories. This and other shopping alternatives are planned for the 150,000 square feet of retail space coming to Washington Square in 2009 via multiple phases.