At last week’s City Council meeting, Bellevue officially began updating its Economic Development Plan, which will guide the city’s growth over the next five years. This plan is important for making sure Bellevue remains a top place for jobs and culture on the Eastside, helping it maintain its role as the second-largest employment hub in Washington State.
The update to the plan will focus on many key priorities, including supporting small businesses, growing Bellevue’s creative economy, attracting international connections, and making the city’s economy more diverse. Bellevue residents and businesses will have chances to share their thoughts and ideas throughout the process, which will continue until mid-2025. The final version of the plan will be presented to the City Council by the end of 2025.
“Bellevue’s unique and diverse economy has helped make our city a true destination,” said Mayor Lynne Robinson. “Updating this plan now, alongside other planning efforts, ensures we have a clear strategy to tackle new opportunities and challenges.”
This updated plan will build on Bellevue’s success and help the city reach new goals. One of those goals is to add 35,000 new housing units and 70,000 jobs by 2044, as part of Bellevue’s broader 20-year Comprehensive Plan. The Economic Development Plan will help make sure the city’s economy keeps growing in line with these goals.
Since the current Economic Development Plan was adopted in 2020, Bellevue has seen positive progress. Retail sales grew by 16%, and the city added 3% more jobs. Some of the key achievements from the current plan include:
- Launching a Workforce Development Program to help people find good jobs with training and career support.
- Creating the BelRed Arts District Community Alliance to promote arts and culture in Bellevue.
- Starting the Startup 425 Accelerator program, which helps local entrepreneurs build their businesses.
- Completing a retail study and acting on its recommendations to improve the shopping experience in the city.
- Setting up a tourism promotion area to attract more visitors to Bellevue.
The city wants to hear from the community as it updates the plan. From now until mid-2025, there will be several ways for people to share their thoughts through surveys, public meetings, or online forums. This input will help shape the final plan and make sure it reflects what the community needs and wants.
To learn more about the current plan and how you can get involved in the update process, visit the city’s Economic Development Plan webpage.
