By Jack Stubbs
A seven-story project slated for development in downtown Bellevue is progressing smoothly through the city’s Design Review Process, and earlier this year moved one step closer to navigating the multi-step process.
MRM Bellevue LLC, the owner of the site, is partnering with Guntower Capital to develop a mixed-use project located at 10350 NE 10th Street. Runberg Architecture Group is the firm responsible for the design of the project, dubbed “Bell10”.
In mid-June, a “Determination of Non-Significance” was issued, further speeding up the review process by allowing the project team to skip an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The project team plans to demolish an existing single-story building and associated surface parking lot on the site to make way for the residential project, which will include 102 apartment units and 2,000 square feet of retail and restaurant uses on the 0.36-acre site. The project will also include three levels of below-grade parking and various landscaping elements, according to the “Determination of Non-Significance.”
The applicant is also participating in the city’s Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program, which means that the development will contain both affordable and market rate units.
Construction is slated to begin in late fall of 2022, with aspirational plans to complete the project by mid- to late July.
The location of the project is noteworthy, given its proximity to various amenities and attractions including Bellevue Square, Bellevue Downtown Park and Bellevue Arts Museum. The development is also near Interstate 405, which provides connectivity between Bellevue and Seattle via State Route 520.
There have not been all that many residential projects proposed for downtown Bellevue in recent months. Earlier this year, however, another design team announced its plan for an affordable housing development located at 991 118th Avenue SE on a 4.5-acre site.
In February, local developer SRM and local non-profit housing developer DASH also announced plans to develop a project that will offer 235 new affordable housing units, with financing achieved with financing from Microsoft’s Affordable Housing Initiative. There are two buildings slated for the site, according to a press release from SRM.
