Gerding Edlen's Belleve Towers

With Mount Rainier looming in the east and Lake Washington to the west, residents in Bellevue, Wash., typically don’t complain about the view. At last count, however, nine tower cranes spanned the downtown skyline. It’s a sign of changing times in Seattle’s biggest suburb.

One of 10 new developments in Bellevue’s budding town center, Bellevue Towers is a 43-story, 1-million-square-foot mixed-use building expected to receive Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It’s the first Seattle project for Gerding Edlen, a green building giant internationally known for urban redevelopment efforts in Portland’s Brewery Blocks and South Waterfront District. When completed in August 2009, it could also become the largest LEEDcertified residential project in Washington state.

Since passing its Green Building Policy in early 2000, Seattle has certified 25 LEED projects, more than any other city (however, Portland has more certified LEED projects per capita). Until now, Vulcan Inc., lead developer of Seattle’s South Lake Union redevelopment project, has been the primary force behind the city’s green building movement, according to Peter Dobrovolny, LEED commercial expert for Seattle’s City Green Building program. “They have done more than anyone else at this time,” he says.

But Gerding Edlen has been paying close attention to Seattle’s real estate market. Seattle’s proximity to Portland, along with the company’s focus on urban redevelopment, led Gerding Edlen north, says Scott Eaton, Bellevue Towers’ project manager. Eaton says he traveled to Seattle weekly for the past two years to investigate suitable opportunities.

Room with a view: Bellevue Towers residents will have curved glass walls and views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. Courtesy Gerding Edlen.

 “We pride ourselves on projects that might lead to other projects,” Eaton says. “Bellevue is this place where all kinds of dynamics intersect. There are a huge number of jobs there …, and key stakeholders want greater density. From an urban developer standpoint, the only piece missing is the residential and entertainment-oriented retail.” Recipient of numerous awards, ranging from environmental design and construction to energy-efficiency, Gerding Edlen is well-known in Portland and beyond for its environmental approach to urban redevelopment.