By Kate Snyder
Bellevue could soon see the redevelopment of a retail site into a residential property in the city’s central business district. Bosa Development has proposed the construction of a 22-story residential tower spanning 234,577 square feet with below-grade parking, according to city records. Plans were submitted to the city by Amanat Architect, the project’s designer.
Located at 201 Bellevue Way NE at the corner of NE 2nd Street and Bellevue Way NE, is a parcel that totals just over one acre of land and is part of the Park Row Shopping Center. In 2019, Bosa Development acquired the project site for $36 million, or slightly more than $2,000 per square foot, according to The Registry’s previous reporting. The seller, Park Row LLC, shares the same address in Bellevue as Radford and Co. The property consists of three retail stores built between 1955 and 1980 that total 17,757 square feet: the first is a 6,732 square foot retail store; the second is a 10,413 square foot retail store; and the third is another retail property that totals 612 square feet.
The tower will contain approximately 143 apartment units and three levels of below grade parking to accommodate approximately 275 vehicle stalls. Project plans also include 8,465 square feet of ground level active uses, street frontage improvements, a mid-block pedestrian connection across Bellevue Way NE, landscaping, exterior lighting, an on-site through-block pedestrian connection and a public plaza space and design coordination with the eastern edge of the Downtown Park.
The proposed tower will exceed the height of 230 feet, and as a result 10 percent of the
site – approximately 4,693 square feet – is required to be designed as publicly accessible outdoor plaza space. The project includes a 4,700 square foot outdoor plaza which wraps around the north side of the development at the ground level. The resulting three spaces are meant to provide a diverse but connected pedestrian experience. Each space will be activated with the proposed ground level active uses within the building.
The proposed materials of the building are glass and metal with large format ceramic tile and painted concrete highlights, plans show. The tower and podium create gaps which break up the elevation with different heights, and at the pedestrian level, the project provides elements such as expressed entrances. Tactile, material textures will be used to enhance the pedestrian experience along the sidewalks. The podium has been set back from the back of the sidewalk to provide wider pedestrian areas along all sides of the project. The main residential entrance is pronounced by stepping the building mass back at grade and with a slight difference of level. It also features a glossy white metal canopy with a curved form and integrated lighting designed to provide visual impact and cover for the special paving and accents.
Based in Vancouver, B.C., Bosa Development is an international real estate development firm. According to its website, the company was founded in 1986 and has developed thousands of homes throughout Canada and the western U.S.
The firm has a number of projects in the works throughout the Bellevue region.
One project located at 102 Bellevue Way NE is a proposal for an approximately 431-unit residential campus, according to previous reporting from The Registry. The first phase to the north would consist of one residential tower with ground level retail as well as above- and below-grade parking. The second phase would include two more residential towers connected at the south with ground level retail and below-grade parking. A pedestrian connection is proposed to be enhanced with public gathering spaces. Each of the towers include ground floor retail, above- and below-grade parking and a through-block pedestrian connection. Proposed retail space would total approximately 29,000 square feet, and the project would also include 800 vehicle stalls.
