Deputy Mayor Dave Hamilton counts 3,466 homes across eight projects in Bellevue's Wilburton pipeline and wants the neighboring Bel-Red corridor to follow the same playbook.

Hamilton presented the figures at the Bellevue Chamber's Sept. 22 Policy Council meeting, calling the Wilburton planning model "working as intended." Of the 3,466 homes, 313 are designated affordable. He described Bel-Red as the city's next growth area, a district of auto body shops and light industry becoming a transit-oriented neighborhood built around an arts district.

The pipeline numbers represent the most specific housing-supply data a city leader has offered for the area. Hamilton attributed the progress to years of collaboration among residents, developers, city staff and the council that produced a land use code now moving projects forward.

Wilburton projects already moving

Two of the eight pipeline projects are visible in public records. Alliance Residential's Broadstone East Wilburton, a 10-story, 442-unit apartment building about 1,000 feet from the future Wilburton light rail station, received design review approval April 29, according to Downtown Bellevue Network.

American Capital Group has applied to build an 11-story, 449-unit mixed-use building at 120 116th Ave. NE on the former AutoNation car dealership site, 425 Magazine reported. That project would reserve 90 units for households earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income.

A Policy Council member who builds in downtown Bellevue raised a concern at the meeting: downtown is one of the few places in the region still breaking ground on apartments, and Bel-Red and Wilburton sit side by side competing for the same projects.

City's $37M housing round adds to pipeline

The Wilburton pipeline's 313 affordable units come on top of the city's record $37 million affordable housing investment announced April 29. That funding round, the largest in Bellevue's history, supports four projects totaling 271 affordable units in Bellevue and 234 more across the Eastside. The city's Affordable Housing Strategy calls for building or preserving 5,700 affordable units over the next decade.

Hamilton said some of the next affordable homes will go on city-owned land near transit stations.

Bel-Red code update ahead

The city adopted the BelRed Subarea Plan in 2024. The next step is the BelRed Look Forward Land Use Code Amendment, which would create standards for housing growth, transit-oriented development, affordable housing and the BelRed Arts District, according to a city notice.

Hamilton noted that middle housing rules are in place citywide but little has been built under them. He said the city may adjust those rules. On permitting, he reported a 10-point improvement in speed after the city began using artificial intelligence for initial application reviews.

"I think the easiest way for the City to support businesses is to support the people that work there," Hamilton said at the Policy Council meeting.

What's next

The Bellevue City Council's transportation work session is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6. The third and final budget public hearing is Oct. 27, and budget adoption is scheduled for Nov. 17. The council is weighing whether to fund the Transportation Benefit District (TBD), formed in 2023 but never funded, as part of the 2027-2028 budget.