During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, a gun shop quietly slipped into Downtown Bellevue. It’s located on the north side of NE 8th St., in a strip mall with stores including Thai Grill, Bellevue Nails, What the Pho, Money Tree, and a few others. The store is on the same city block as Washington Square’s Condominium Towers.
A gun shop doesn’t quite fit in with newly opened stores nearby on NE 8th, such as Neiman Marcus, or new neighborhood condos and apartments within a block’s radius of the shop. At DTB, we don’t profess to be policy specialists, but it seems odd that the City of Bellevue would allow a gun shop right in the core of Downtown Bellevue, given the City’s other strict regulations. Of additional concern is the gun shop’s close proximity to area homes, throughout this rapidly developing urban neighborhood. However, there are of course going to be those to whom this is a welcome addition.
Additionally, it seems peculiar that developer Wasatch Development Partners, who is the landlord/owner of “Washington Square Condominiums” would consent to a gun shop opening just down the street from where they are trying to sell homes. This recent development surely will not entice future buyers.
What do you think about the gun shop opening in Downtown Bellevue? Sound off in the comments section and our poll on the homepage.
