As an integral component of the Grand Connection program, the city is leading a collaborative process to realize transit-oriented development at the city-owned Metro and Lincoln Center sites in downtown and Wilburton, respectively.
- The Metro Site, located between City Hall and Link light rail on the north portion of the City Hall block, is adjacent to Meydenbauer Center and opens directly onto City Hall Plaza and Sound Transit’s Bellevue Downtown 2 Line station.
- The Lincoln Center Site, in the Wilburton TOD area, is adjacent to I-405 directly east across the highway from City Hall, and one block west of Eastrail.
These sites are located directly along the Grand Connection corridor and are intended to interface with the Grand Connection Crossing. While the proposed crossing will be one use of these sites, the city intends to integrate the crossing into a wider redevelopment of both sites, including municipal needs, and potentially affordable and/or market-rate housing, higher education space, arts and culture space, and outdoor plaza or gathering space. Ultimately, the city intends for the properties to contribute to the experience of the crossing, support Bellevue’s continued economic innovation, and seamlessly integrate downtown and Wilburton into a connected urban neighborhood.
Project scope
Currently, staff and a consultant team led by Cooper Robertson are working on a predevelopment work plan that includes a site assessment and opportunity/constraints analysis and visioning and planning exercises for the two sites that will include targeted public engagement. The conclusion of the work will include a set of guiding principles that will inform decisionmaking moving forward regarding development program and implementation. Other outcomes of this work will include visual and written documentation of the preferred vision and unique characteristics of each site, and evaluation criteria for validating future phases of work. Staff will lead a second phase of work in mid-2025 to determine the potential partnership approach and development program details for implementation and delivery of TOD on the city-owned sites.
Future phases
The first phase of work (2024-2025) doesn’t include site specific program development (Phase II) or implementation planning (Phase III), as the parameters for these phases will be determined by the outcomes of the current scope of work and the Grand Connection Crossing 30% design.
Get involved
More information on this developing project and on how to get involved will be shared in advance of major milestones and opportunities for community engagement. For more information and to sign up for email or text alerts, select “Subscribe” under Alerts and select "Grand Connection" or feel free to reach out to our team with specific questions.