European Tower luxury condominiums at the address of 930 109th Ave NE in Downtown Bellevue is anything but ordinary. With the relatively small footprint across the street from Bellevue’s downtown library, the condominium units will offer full floor exclusivity. Each unit will offer about 2,700 square feet to each of their 15 future owners. The owners will enjoy a 360 degree view with 11 foot ceiling to floor glass windows surrounding the exterior of the building. Each unit will include two decks to enjoy the breath taking views.

This project is named European Tower because in many European communities space is very limited and projects are forced to be extremely efficient with the space they have available. This project is no different. Because of European Tower’s lot size there isn’t enough room to create underground ramps for parking. A creative alternative solution was created. It is a parking system underground that is automated. It is truly a site which must be seen to be believed (see video here). Essentially you pull in to the garage onto a “pallet”, you get out, and the elevator for your car stores your vehicle in your designated spot. When it is time to retrieve your car owners can expect it to only take 90 seconds.
These condominiums don’t come cheap. The “floors” are starting at $2 million and are speculated to go for as high as $10 million. The builders expect that the top two floors will be sold together combining for two super floors. Because the space doesn’t allow for a workout facility, European Tower’s is offering a membership at many of the luxury facilities in the community, at the choice of the buyer.
This parking system from GIS International Group is the first of its kind making it to the Western side of the United States.
Other interesting fact to note, is if you want to take virtual tour, it is not as easy as just going to the Web Site. You need a user name and password to access the simulated tour of the homes on the site.
From the outside this building which is planned to be complete by fall 2008 might blend into skyline of what will be the newly decorated Bellevue Sky, but the experiences inside European Tower will be anything but ordinary.

9 Comments

  1. This “European Tower” is excessive in every possible way. Whatever happened to affordable housing?

  2. Affordable housing? GONE. This is Bellevue, now home to one of the most luxurious cities in the country.

  3. How did “European tower” even get permitted? This is in the quiet library district of downtown Bellevue!! There are no towers this high anywhere NEAR this building! Talk about ruining the neighborhood.

  4. I don’t understand why someone would pay so much money for a building that is so far from the Meydenbauer Bay. Even the top floor will not have a good view of the lake. If I had a few million dollars, I would buy a unit in Bellevue Towers, or wait for a unit in the Lincoln tower.

  5. I think the big advantage of European Tower is the amount of square footage, and the privacy of having your own floor with four walls with windows.

    No doubt it is expensive though. It would be interesting to compare straight across what you would get for $2 Million at each place.

    Does anybody know what the height restrictions are in Bellevue?

  6. Limit is 450 feet in the middle, and goes down from there like a ‘wedding cake’

  7. I’m the anonymous guy above who wrote I’d get a Lincoln Tower or Bellevue Tower unit if I had a few $M. Having your own floor is great but you won’t have a great lake view from either the penthouse! Getting your car in and out is gonna be a pain… Imagine buying a lot of groceries and now you need to get the stuff up to your condo. How’s that gonna work? You take the groceries out of your trunk and then drive your drive in that elevator shalf?

  8. I suppose taking the groceries out of the car is not different from any other condo experience. You take your stuff out of the car and walk to the elevator. Here the car goes to its own space and you go home. I’m sure they will have a concierge on staff and a few grocery carts to help with the load. Most buildings do.

    Whoever said that there are no tall buildings in that area must have not been around there in a long time. The entire 10th street is being rebuilt. At least 5 more towers are under construction. The northern part of downtown Bellevue is going to look amazing.

    I think it’s one of the coolest projects in town right now. You can’t beat the one home one floor concept.

  9. I forgot to share this with you all when it happened, but this story was shared on Luxist.com, and DowntownBellevue.net was used as a reference.

    Link:

    http://www.luxist.com/2007/06/23/european-tower-in-bellevue-washington/