The Bellevue Downtown Association’s 36th Annual Celebration was held at Meydenbauer Center, featuring a 3-course catered dinner banquet and the company of Bellevue’s finest civic leaders, supporters, business owners, and community volunteers. This year’s celebration highlighted 2009’s ‘Place Making’ awards, which honor people, organizations, and businesses in Downtown Bellevue that create valuable places in the community.
The following are the 2009 recipients that were awarded at Thursday’s event:
Commute Champion: Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Bellevue
Courtyard by Marriott’s commute benefits program has incentivized more than 50% of their Bellevue employees to commute daily using alternative transit.
Community Service: YWCA Angeline’s Eastside Women’s Center and The Sophia Way
These 2 programs combined, both hosted at Bellevue First Congregational Church, provide essential services to homeless women like hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, visits with a nurse, legal aid, employment counseling, overnight shelter, a life skills program, and access to social services.
BDA Champion: Jill Ostrem
Jill Ostrem served her 2-year term (2008 and 2009) as Chair of the Bellevue Downtown Association Board of Directors.
Skyline Award: Elements Too
Developed by John Su and architect Jim Cutler, Elements Too brings a 23 and 13-story tower, 274 apartment homes, and 48,000 square feet of retail space via a uniquely shaped high rise that complements Downtown Bellevue’s new city skyline.
Residential Development: Ten20
Ten20, developed by The Hanover Company and designed by Collins Woerman, has added 129 apartment dwellings, 4,700 square feet of retail space featuring Grand Cru Wine Bar and Shop, a new outdoor public plaza, and space for a 200 – 300 seat black box theater.
Hotel Expansion: Hyatt Regency Bellevue
The $185 million Olympic Tower expansion at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue added 351 guest rooms, more than 30,000 square feet of ballroom space, several meeting rooms, and a 120-seat auditorium.
Office Development: City Center Plaza
Fully leased by Microsoft upon completion, with El Gaucho occupying a large part of its retail space, LEED Certified Gold City Center Plaza brought 580,000 square feet of rentable space and a 2 1/2 acre urban landscaped plaza.
Downtown Employer: Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft has been a significant and stabilizing force for the Downtown Bellevue economy with its move-in of nearly 6,000 employees in about 1.6 million square feet of office space at The Bravern Office Commons, City Center Plaza, and Lincoln Square.
Place Maker of the Year: The Bravern
The Bravern, a place of offices, residences, and retail, is fully leased by Microsoft and has more than 300,000 square-feet of retail stores and restaurants that make up the luxury Shops at The Bravern. The Bravern Residences will offer 455 condominium homes.
The keynote speaker of the evening was Rebecca Ryan, author of Live First, Work Second and founder of Next Generation Consulting. With her wit and humor, she presented great ideas and inspirations about the future of urban planning for Bellevue’s next generation of workers and residents. She highlighted the fact that the demand for alternate forms of transportation will outgrow the supply and that if Downtown Bellevue develops its mass transit system, we will not only create growth but attract the “knowledge workers” of the next generation that will care about making this community better.
The celebration was inspiring; it’s great that each of us are a measurable part of such a growing, sustainable, thriving, smart, clean, safe, and beautiful city.
