Non-downtown Bellevue eastside projects

[USAPatriot]

I consider it a skyline, always.

Thats why I make "Rate this Skyline" threads of cities I think have skylines. I've included Everett, Vancouver, WA, and Yakima... more to come. I have been taking good pics of cities like this, to try and get a "skyline" edge on them. I love this location of Factoria I stumbled upon.

[horatio_the_hermit]

FACTORIA FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

[Bond James Bond]

Seattle Times article about google expansion in Kirkland:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...google06e.html

[bgwah]

A 2 story campus? Barf.

Kirkland annoys me. It has so much potential but seems to have a ton of people flip out when someone wants to build a 3 story building in its dense and walkable waterfront area, etc...

Speaking of the Eastside, there's a 322 unit residential project going up in Redmond at the downtown park and ride (or transit center, or whatever it is...).

We never hear about Downtown Redmond. It has hundreds of stores, a downtown elementary school, three downtown grocery stores, hundreds of units being built (in addition to it's already-fairly large supply), some nice old downtown buildings, a mall that is at least somewhat nice (Outdoors, has parking garages somewhat hidden by retail on the bottom floors of them, mixed with office and some hotels, isn't a big ugly building like Bellevue Square, has architecture designed to fit in with its older surroundings), is right by a huge park, has a ton of space left for more density (tons of potential), a pro-downtown growth government, a diverse array of restaurants, etc... Downtown Redmond is underrated. When they build an Eastside light rail line, it will be a crime against humanity if it doesn't go all the way to Downtown Redmond. Does anybody else feel the same way? Or think the same things about Downtown Redmond?

[seapug]

yeah the only problem with downtown redmond is that redmondites seem to not use it. probably because bellevue's so close. redmond's one of the few small suburbs in the area i could see myself living in. i already work there.

[taiwanesedrummer36]

Speaking of Kirkland, any new updates on the Totem Lake redevelopment?

[testdrive]

ok since I was talking about Redmond on the wrong page here goes again.........another condo development is going in in the heart of Redmond. At the intersection of Redmond Way and 164th there is a triangle shaped block that has been bought and all the businesses there will be torn down and a 6 story triangle shaped mixed use building is going to go in and will be ready in 2010. this along with the large development going in at McRedmond Landing near the slough (slew) plus another 6 story apt building 1 blk. east of there and one going in 1 blk north and east of Jamba Juice is really beginning to change the character of dt Redmond. I suppose not all of Microsoft's expansion employees can afford the Bravern eh.

[PDXPaul]

I went to Lincoln Square to see Batman this weekend, holy crap the traffic is hell in Bellevue. It was getting bad a couple months ago but yuck. Maybe that'll help downtown Redmond compete.

[Seattlelife]

Originally Posted by PDXPaul

I went to Lincoln Square to see Batman this weekend, holy crap the traffic is hell in Bellevue. It was getting bad a couple months ago but yuck. Maybe that'll help downtown Redmond compete.

Yes the traffic is terrible at times. IF you plan on driving to Bell Square during the holidays give yourself a good 15 minutes to get from the exit to your parking spot. It can be that bad.

[Skian]

I dont know what traffic you might have encountered around Lincoln Square last weekend................

There were only 3 little art fairs going on, attacting 200,000 people over three days.

[just4ivaylo]

I was about to be volunteering at one of those for school community service hours. Bleh. Good thing I didn't. I hate traffic AND art.

[Seattlelife]

Originally Posted by Skian

I dont know what traffic you might have encountered around Lincoln Square last weekend................

There were only 3 little art fairs going on, attacting 200,000 people over three days.

I meant before X Mas.

[NW Mike]

I think he was talking to PDXPaul that was there last weekend for Batman. The art fairs were great.

[testdrive]

They have begun another project in dt Redmond at the site of the former Tony Romas. There was equipment there clearing out the last of the trees on the property. There are are signs that Chinn Construction is doing the building but nothing up yet that says what the project will look like. Plus right behind that project there is that long narrow strip of land by the R.R tracks and across from Town Center where there is a lot of excavation going on, again not sure what they are doing there either.

[mhays]

I don't know what those are. But Downtown Redmond is turning into a nice center.

[testdrive]

It would seem that some of that construction is for extending Bear Creek Pkwy ( the road circling Town Center into dt Redmond near the where that large construction of McRedmond Landing off of the slough. It would seem it is an effort to give more options to get on to Redmond Wy. and then to 520. At some point I think they are going to have to add another entrance ramp to westbound 520 directly from Town Center

[testdrive]

The grand opening of the Snoqualmie Entertainment Center is Nov 6th. 170,000 sq feet, 1,700 slots, parking for 2,000 cars, 5 restaurants, 50 table games, 11,000 sq foot ballroom and a dance club with guest d.j.'s. The opening act is Nov. 7th and it will be Jessica Simpson tickets are $75 to $175.

[tritown]

Question: The Marriott in Issaquah, is that going to be labeled as a Courtyard brand, since you compared it to Hilton Garden, or is it going to be a full fledged Marriott, as opposed to Courtyard, Springhill, Fairfield, etc.?

Also, I would say that if you want to shop in Bellevue Square during Christmas shopping, it would be better to avoid NE 8th and take 520 to Bellevue Way, or I-90 to Bellevue Way.

[Bond James Bond]

So I went to Issaquah today just to check out some stuff since I hadn't been there in a while. And I saw something I had feared would eventually happen: Along Eest Lake Sammamish Rd in back of this lumber yard just north of the Fred Meyer, they're clearing land for ANOTHER shopping center.



I had been noticing that particular parcel of land ever since I moved to Sammamish several years ago, and had always thought they should build some apartments there - it's about the only building type in Issaquah and Sammamish that's in fairly short supply.

So I went by there today and noticed they were clearing the land and tearing down some of the old, unused buildings in the back of the lumber yard. Then I checked the sign in front of the site to see what they were gonna build?

A 7-building retail center.



Of all the things that Issaquah DOESN'T need, MORE retail is #1 on the list! I can't believe someone is actually STUPID enough to even THINK about building ANOTHER shopping center in Issaquah!!

[bgwah]

Behind the lumber yard..?? That's an awful location. No one will see it. Heck, I go down that road at least a few times a week and I haven't noticed any construction there.

Speaking of Eastside projects, there's still quite a bit of construction in Redmond. Two notable projects are the huge apartment building on the transit center parking lot and the multi-building mid-rise development by auto row. Quite a few pedestrians around as well. Oh, and another big hole in the ground between The Cleveland and that big development I was just talking about. Another mid-rise apartment building it looks like. A pretty good looking live-work building also finished recently.