Bellevue, Sound Transit honored for planning housing in BelRed

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Transit-oriented development part of transformation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — A Regional Coalition of Housing (ARCH) recognized the City of Bellevue and Sound Transit Thursday for their efforts to create a transit-oriented community with affordable housing in Bellevue’s BelRed area.

In a 2015 Memorandum of Understanding, the city and Sound Transit committed to collaborating on creating a mixed-use, urban, transit-oriented development at the BelRed/130th Avenue Northeast station, which will include a mix of market-rate and affordable housing units, office and retail, and pedestrian connections, including access to the Eastside Rail Corridor.

“The agreement between the city and Sound Transit is the first of its kind, and a great deal of synergy between our agencies and the community has created an exciting vision to capitalize on the light rail investment, while transforming the BelRed Corridor,” said Bellevue City Councilmember Conrad Lee, who was on hand to accept the award. “Our partnership will continue as East Link is built out, and we appreciate that our collaboration has been recognized by ARCH.”

ARCH presented its 2016 Community Recognition Award to Councilmember Lee and Ric Ilgenfritz, Sound Transit’s executive director of Planning, Environment and Project Development. The award ceremony took place at Family Village Issaquah – YMCA.

ARCH is a partnership of King County and several East King County Cities that seek to preserve and increase the supply of housing for low- and moderate-income households in the region.

“Before we know it, people will be living, working, traveling and enjoying the BelRed Corridor in ways we can only imagine today,” said Sound Transit Board and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, who helped to negotiate the agreement between Sound Transit and Bellevue when she was on the Bellevue council. “More people will be able to afford to live in this area because of this partnership.”

The Spring District/120th Avenue and BelRed/130th Avenue light rail stations are to be built in the BelRed area. The MOU commits the city to provide 300 public parking stalls for permanent public park-and-ride use on 130th Avenue property Sound Transit will transfer to the city. In 2009, the Bellevue City Council approved land use changes that allow for the vision of BelRed to be realized.

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