Bellevue Downtown Park

Bellevue Downtown Park is a 20acre park located in the heart of downtown Bellevue, WA. The park was designed for passive and unstructured use, and as a "respite from the activities of busy urban life."The idea for a park in downtown Bellevue was created from civic and private leadership, which saw the City's potential for shaping its future during a time of rapid growth and development. In the early 1980s, economic forces were rapidly influencing the character of downtown Bellevue. Its center was emerging as a hub for commercial and business activity, and the city was seen as a desirable residential community. In the middle of this dynamic period of growth, the City Council and community leaders saw the necessity of creating an amenity within the City which would help define its character and provide open space in an increasingly urban downtown core.In December 1983, the City of Bellevue acquired 17acre within Bellevue's central business district from the Bellevue School District for $14.3 Million, and financed the transaction through Councilmanic bonds backed by a local option sales tax. In the years since the park land was purchased, approximately four acres have been added to the site.Design competitionAn international competition was conducted to select the design concept for Downtown Park. As a first step in formulating a competition program, a survey was distributed to 55,000 businesses and households asking what they envisioned in a downtown park. A majority of the 5,000 respondents indicated a preference for a pedestrian-oriented green space that would remain relatively free of buildings and special interest facilities. A total of 67 entries, each of whom paid $100 to enter the competition, were received from throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. These entries were judged by a jury consisting of local leaders, Bellevue staff, and the chairpersons of the University of Washington's School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.