Bellevue: 10833 NE 8th

[Bond James Bond]

^
Oops.

Merged 'em.

[BellevueBoy]

This week's PSBJ had an article about this project regarding the 2nd tower on the site.

Here's the link:
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seatt....html?ana=e_ph

[Dancer]

OMG just build taller! What is wrong with Bellevue city planners?

[BellevueBoy]

The Times had a small update on this project a few weeks ago:

New Bellevue office-tower development approved

Bellevue city planners have approved a proposed 450-foot office tower downtown near the southwest corner of Northeast Eighth Street and 110th Avenue Northeast.

By Seattle Times business staff

Bellevue city planners have approved a proposed 450-foot office tower downtown near the southwest corner of Northeast Eighth Street and 110th Avenue Northeast.

The 32-story tower would have 691,000 square feet of office space, 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and six levels of underground parking.

The developer, Beacon Capital Partners of Boston, was not available today to discuss when construction might start.


I'd be really surprised if this building broke ground this year but I wouldn't rule it out. Beacon Capital recently finished City Center Plaza which is 100% occupied by Microsoft and could get a head start on the next wave of office development if they move forward with this project this year.

If this project breaks ground in 2009, it likely won't be complete till 2012 which allows the local office market plenty of time to rebound. Of course that is pure speculation but I'm hoping for the best..

[CorePlus Seattle]

Beacon is an intersting company, perhaps the last major investor in the Puget Sound that belevies rents should be rising in the near term. I am not sure how their positioned but I would hesitate to beleive that they have both the money and the risk tollerance to start a development project right now. We will see.

[DawgFan]

Well this is disappointing. Looks like the developer has decreased the height of this project (from 450 to 360 feet) and changed architects to NBBJ. I really liked the original design especially the height but this one will probably be another clone of existing towers in Bellevue.

http://www.bellevuewa.gov/pdf/land%2...-127765-LD.pdf

[CityView Jim]

Originally Posted by DawgFan

Well this is disappointing. Looks like the developer has decreased the height of this project (from 450 to 360 feet) and changed architects to NBBJ. I really liked the original design especially the height but this one will probably be another clone of existing towers in Bellevue.

http://www.bellevuewa.gov/pdf/land%2...-127765-LD.pdf

How does (and WHY) does Yuen Lui hang on to that prime corner in such a crappy site? I'd think they could easily incorporate nicely into any project be it residential or office.

Just strange.

[DawgFan]

Originally Posted by CityView Jim

How does (and WHY) does Yuen Lui hang on to that prime corner in such a crappy site? I'd think they could easily incorporate nicely into any project be it residential or office.

Just strange.

Yeah I've wondered the same thing for years. That tiny little corner that they own is probably worth 8 figures alone. Hard to imagine they can't find a suitable replacement location with that kind of money.

[alexjonlin]

But breaking up the superblocks in Bellevue into several different buildings is far preferable in my opinion to the kind of megaprojects that take up a lot of Downtown. It'll take longer for the neighborhood to get filled in but in the long-run it'll be a much more interesting urban environment.

[bgwah]

Seems like a lot of the lot will be open space...

[D Green]

Originally Posted by alexjonlin

But breaking up the superblocks in Bellevue into several different buildings is far preferable in my opinion to the kind of megaprojects that take up a lot of Downtown. It'll take longer for the neighborhood to get filled in but in the long-run it'll be a much more interesting urban environment.

Preferable, yes. Doable, maybe. It'll take a lot more competition in the buying market to make that happen though. I'm certain any landowner would prefer to break up their lots into smaller chunks and sell them for maximum profit. Large superblocks will mean 'cheaper' sales. (ie: think wholeseller strategy)

[D Green]

Originally Posted by bgwah

Seems like a lot of the lot will be open space...

That would be very unfortunate. Although I don't mind things like open space, such as the one next to the Bellevue Transit center, too much (proportionally speaking) is just a waste of land.

[DawgFan]

Originally Posted by D Green

That would be very unfortunate. Although I don't mind things like open space, such as the one next to the Bellevue Transit center, too much (proportionally speaking) is just a waste of land.

I agree. Open space is nice but in the case of City Center Plaza, it's a little excessive when 2/3 of the property is a plaza. I expect this new project to be similarly proportioned after looking at the site plan. They do leave the door open for a future development at the east end of the site though.

Here's a short write up from the Times about the new proposal:
http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...llevuexml.html

Such a letdown with the downsizing. This could've been a signature tower for Bellevue with it's location at the highest point in downtown but instead it'll just be another generic NBBJ designed tower.

[bgwah]

Originally Posted by DawgFan

I agree. Open space is nice but in the case of City Center Plaza, it's a little excessive when 2/3 of the property is a plaza. I expect this new project to be similarly proportioned after looking at the site plan. They do leave the door open for a future development at the east end of the site though.

Here's a short write up from the Times about the new proposal:
http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...llevuexml.html

Such a letdown with the downsizing. This could've been a signature tower for Bellevue with it's location at the highest point in downtown but instead it'll just be another generic NBBJ designed tower.

Not to mention its right by the transit center/future light rail station.

[RMacherat]

A couple of our more observant contributors could probably tell us - I wonder which "plaza's" are filled with people chatting, networking, eating, flirting or just taking a load off, and which ones are windy wastelands, and what seems to make the difference?

[D Green]

The plaza next to the Bellevue Transit Center barely qualifies as a park, let alone a social gathering area. There's almost no one ever around in that plaza except for lunch break during summer months. The rest of the time its vacant. Bellevue suffers from a severe lack of pedestrian traffic at all except for a few routes between DT core buildings during work hours and a block or two around 8th and 104th.

[CityView Jim]

Agreed.

I worked opposite the plaza a year ago and it positively bustles on a nice weekday afternoon - that I can confirm. I can imagine it being dead otherwise as this is purely a plaza/open space with little other intent (no dogs chasing frisbees!).

I think open spaces in downtown Bellevue are needed though.

[bgwah]

Originally Posted by RMacherat

A couple of our more observant contributors could probably tell us - I wonder which "plaza's" are filled with people chatting, networking, eating, flirting or just taking a load off, and which ones are windy wastelands, and what seems to make the difference?

The Galleria has a nice active plaza, I think.

[DawgFan]

Actually I guess both versions are possible and they are submitting the smaller one now to get design approval. The taller version is already approved. Let's hope they find a tenant that wants the bigger version
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/n....html?page=all