The BelRed Arts District was first designated as an Arts Village as part of the 2009 BelRed Land Use Code Update that transformed the vision for BelRed from a light-industrial and commercial area into a mixed-use dense urban district. The original designation was a point on a map near 136th Ave NE and Spring Boulevard that represented the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Francia Russell Center's original location, which has since been relocated next door. Currently, BelRed has a wide array of arts organizations, businesses, artists, and makers working across the district. The City of Bellevue is committed to further envisioning the Arts District and building on past studies and outreach to cement the district within Bellevue's changing urban fabric.
The BelRed Arts District currently is facing significant changes and is therefore at the forefront of many City-led efforts to bring attention to the district and help the community shape its future. Below is a list of projects, plans, and resources to learn more about these efforts and how to stay involved.
BelRed Arts District mailing list - If you would like to stay involved in future work around the BelRed Arts District, please email Manette Stamm, mstamm@bellevuewa.gov.
Do you need affordable space to live, create, make, teach, uphold a cultural practice, rehearse, operate a creative business, or exhibit/sell/perform/share your work? If so, help advance efforts for new creative space, by taking our survey. This survey is for individuals to share their space needs and preferences and is a critical next step for a proposed, affordable live/work housing and creative workspace facility in Bellevue’s BelRed Arts District.
Survey data will be used to assess demand for new long-term affordable space, to articulate that need to funders and stakeholders in support of a project, and to educate and encourage developers to design and build spaces that meet the needs of creatives who live/work in Bellevue or would like to.
BelRed Arts District Implementation Plan
BelRed Arts District Implementation Plan
In 2022 the City hired consultant Ambergris Project to build off the 4Culture Creative Consultancies Project and create a five-year implementation plan. This plan will utilize policies and research compiled to date to bring the Arts District to life.
4Culture Creative Consultancies Project
4Culture Creative Consultancies Project
With a generous grant from 4Culture in 2020, the City of Bellevue hired artist Katie Miller to help research and conduct outreach for the BelRed Arts District. Miller studied the BelRed area, other arts districts and developed a series of research areas that resulted in a report. This report also included results from stakeholder outreach and a survey that collected vital feedback from residents, community members, and stakeholders. These findings will help guide the City in creating an Action Plan that will respond to the needs and create a vision for the district's future.