5 Things You Need to Know This Week: Bellevue’s rise, KidsQuest’s takeover
1. Chamber Lunch: King County Executive Candidate Forum
We hosted the Bellevue City Council candidates a few weeks ago — watch the video recording here if you missed it — and for October, we are taking things to the County level.
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. @ W Bellevue
At this next Chamber Lunch, we'll get down and dirty with the KC Exec candidates Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay to find out who is the best-suited for the gig. Register now to reserve your spot!
Got questions for the candidates? Fill out this form to make sure we cover our bases.
2. BAM! KidsQuest is Making Moves!
Big news for our fav children's museum: KidsQuest is purchasing the Bellevue Arts Museum building and the land it sits on! President and CEO (and Chamber board member) Putter Bert anticipates closing on the sale in early 2026 and hopes to open the new museum in 2029, so keep an eye out for future fundraisers and developments.
Want to help celebrate the news? Get your tickets for the museum's Imagination Celebration taking place next Saturday, October 18.
3. Road to World Cup: What's Next?
Futbol was on the brain at last night's Bellevue City Council meeting, as our local leaders began discussing our regional plans-of-attack. With Eastlink up in the air and next summer's festivities coming closer, we expect these discussions to ramp up in coming months as we work alongside businesses, nonprofits, and cultural orgs to leave a lasting impression on those who will be visiting.
In addition to this council meeting — linked here — check out the Seattle Chamber's roadmap to the tourney here, and the Seattle Sports Commission's materials here.
4. Prime Real Estate: Mr. Monopoly Takes Up Residence
The wait is over: Bellevue Monopoly has hit the (digital) shelves. Featuring spots like Bellden Cafe, the botanical garden, Burgermaster, a yacht, and the like, folks can get their own copy of the board game here on the Top Trumps website, or here on Bellden's.
5. A Love Letter to Bellevue (Well, Basically)
The Wall Street Journal has its sights set on Bellevue, and we don't blame them one bit. Our little chunk of techy paradise, it seems as though the rest of the nation is finally catching on to what we all already know: Bellevue frickin' rocks.
"For years, most companies favored Seattle over surrounding suburban locations," writes Peter Grant.
"But today, tech firms are increasingly opting for Bellevue with its modern architecture, highly rated schools and luxury boutique stores. Crime and other quality-of-life issues, meanwhile, are causing more companies to move or stay away from Seattle’s downtown, where vacancy of top-quality office space is at a near-record 34.6%."
Member News:
- Community Calendar: Want to submit your organization's upcoming events, but having a hard time working the Timely system? Fill out this form and a Chamber staff member will manually upload it for you.
- Permit This!: According to recent reporting from The Center Square, the number of residential construction permits issued in Washington state has now fallen to 2013 levels. Read the story here.
- Fashion Week, Recapped: A few weeks ago, The Bellevue Collection marked the 20th anniversary of its marquee "Bellevue Fashion Week" event with two sold-out shows. Check out the recap of the shows from 425 Magazine here.
- TEDx Factoria: The world of TED is coming back to town on November 16, this year with the theme "Humanity at the Brink: Disaster, Discovery, Destiny." Get the conference details here.
- Docktoberfest: Celebrate boating season with boats, brews, and brats at Seattle Boat’s SkyLaunch Marina on South Lake Union, October 18 & 19. Enjoy college football on big screens all weekend, test drive the latest Cobalt and Malibu boats, shop end-of-season savings at the Big Swell watersports gear pop-up, and explore membership options with FunShare Boat Club. More info here.