East Main CAC ramping up vision for transit-oriented development | Wig Properties seeking input for Red Lion Bellevue redevelopment potential

The citizens advisory committee for the East Main Station area planning ahead of Sound Transit light rail is ramping up its vision for what redevelopment should look like east of 112th Avenue Northeast.

By Brandon Macz • March 6, 2015 12:11 pm
This rendering shows the design for Sound Transit's East Main Station.
This rendering shows the design for Sound Transit's East Main Station.

The citizens advisory committee for the East Main Station area planning ahead of Sound Transit light rail is ramping up its vision for what redevelopment should look like east of 112th Avenue Northeast.

Currently zoned for office and limited business, the area south of Main Street and the Surrey Downs neighborhood has been targeted by the city for transit-oriented development based on its proximity to a future East Link station.

The CAC has been meeting monthly since September — except in December — and this month will begin meeting twice per month to nail down what transit-oriented development belongs near the East Main Station.

“There’s a lot of interest in both the land use … and also looking at other properties on the east side of 112th,” said Kate March, East Link community outreach and relations lead for the city. “Really nothing too substantial has started yet, but that’s about to ramp up.”

The CAC will meet 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 in Room 1E-120 at city hall to discuss transportation issues, such as connectivity to the development area for Surrey Downs residents who will lose access to 112th at Southeast First and Fourth streets once light rail is constructed.

The advisory committee will meet again March 24, where representatives from Wig Properties will discuss and take feedback about redevelopment potential for its newly acquired Red Lion Bellevue hotel.

Leshya Wig from Wig Properties tells the Reporter the development company plans to let the Red Lion continue operating the hotel at 11211 Main St., in the near term.

“We have not yet developed a vision for how the site might be redeveloped – because we first would like to get input from the citizens advisory committee (CAC), the City of Bellevue, and the larger community about what they would like to see on this site,” Wig stated in an email Thursday.

Wig Properties acquired the Red Lion Bellevue two weeks ago for $35.4 million after an initial buyer was unable to complete the transaction, said Jason Rosauer, part of the Kidder Mathews team that represented the Red Lions Hotels Corporation for the sale.