News

The latest & greatest on all things Bellevue, Eastside, and Chamber-member-related.

5 Things Advocacy Advocacy : CEO Message Advocacy : Coalition Policy Advocacy : EBA Advocacy : Olympia Update Advocacy : PLUSH Advocacy : Policy Positions Advocacy : Transportation Business Hacks Chamber Lunch Community Events In the News Member News Press Release Programs Programs : EBRT Thought Leadership

Planning Commission Recap: Downtown Livability 2.0 Kicks Off, BelRed Moves Toward Flexibility
Planning Commission Recap: Downtown Livability 2.0 Kicks Off, BelRed Moves Toward Flexibility

Bellevue's Planning Commission confirmed the scope of Downtown Livability 2.0 and moved the BelRed land use code toward street grid flexibility, higher base density, and a simpler amenity system ahead of the July 9 public hearing. Here is what it means for Eastside businesses and housing. Continue Reading

Date posted06/10/2026


And the winners are… Meet the 2026 BRAG Award Winners
And the winners are… Meet the 2026 BRAG Award Winners

Meet the winners of the Bellevue Chamber's first annual BRAG Awards, announced at our 2026 Annual Gala: KidsQuest Children's Museum, Councilmember Claudia Balducci, Snowflake Lane, Bellden Cafe, and Kevin Wallace of Wallace Properties. Continue Reading

Date posted06/5/2026


2026 Bellevue Regional Awards Gala, In Photos
2026 Bellevue Regional Awards Gala, In Photos

Photos from the 2026 Bellevue Regional Awards Gala (BRAG). Browse the full gallery from photographer Bonnie Leung, plus photobooth pics, from a great night celebrating our community on Bellevue's biggest stage. Continue Reading

Date posted06/5/2026


Believe 2026: Putting 14 Eastside Nonprofits in the Spotlight
Believe 2026: Putting 14 Eastside Nonprofits in the Spotlight

Inside Believe 2026, the Bellevue Chamber's third annual showcase at the Botanical Garden spotlighting 14 smaller and newer Eastside nonprofits. Joe Fain on the need behind Bellevue's reputation, plus Councilmember Claire Sumadiwirya on why nonprofits are the community's soul. Continue Reading

Date posted06/3/2026


Know Before You Go: 2026 Bellevue Regional Awards Gala
Know Before You Go: 2026 Bellevue Regional Awards Gala

Everything you need to know before the 2026 Bellevue Regional Awards Gala (BRAG) on June 5 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue: schedule, live and silent auction, awards, raffle, dress code, and how to bid. Continue Reading

Date posted05/27/2026


Honda Auto Center of Bellevue completely remodeled dealership, celebrates 45+ years of service
Honda Auto Center of Bellevue completely remodeled dealership, celebrates 45+ years of service

Honda Auto Center of Bellevue, Washington's #1 volume Honda dealer for 45 years, celebrates the Grand Re-Opening of its newly renovated dealership and four-plus decades of family-led service to the community. Continue Reading

Date posted05/27/2026


Bel-Red Land Use Code Heads to a July 9 Hearing as the Street-Grid Question Comes to a Head
Bel-Red Land Use Code Heads to a July 9 Hearing as the Street-Grid Question Comes to a Head

The Bellevue Planning Commission advanced the Bel-Red Land Use Code Amendment toward a July 9 public hearing, debating how to fix the prescriptive local street grid, base FAR, fee-in-lieu, and the amenity incentive system, and previewed the scope of Downtown Livability 2.0. Continue Reading

Date posted05/27/2026


West Side Story Brings Seattle's Toughest Questions to Bellevue
West Side Story Brings Seattle's Toughest Questions to Bellevue

Inside our West Side Story Chamber Lunch with Seattle Metro Chamber CEO Joe Nguyen, Downtown Seattle Association CEO Jon Scholes, and West Coast Commercial Realty's Tiffini Connell on the Jumpstart tax, $10B in lost downtown office value, public-safety cameras, and the 24-day countdown to FIFA. Continue Reading

Date posted05/26/2026


Main Street Is Evolving in Bellevue: How a New Generation of Entrepreneurs Is Taking Charge
Main Street Is Evolving in Bellevue: How a New Generation of Entrepreneurs Is Taking Charge

Comcast Business Pacific Northwest VP Rob Brenner on how Bellevue's Main Street is evolving with a new generation of entrepreneurs, and what it takes to grow a small business in 2026. Continue Reading

Date posted05/19/2026


Council Backs a Four-Year, No-Cap MFTE Catalyst to Jump-Start HOMA Housing
Council Backs a Four-Year, No-Cap MFTE Catalyst to Jump-Start HOMA Housing

Bellevue City Council directed staff to draft a four-year, no-cap MFTE Catalyst for the HOMA areas, with a two-year look back and an automatic sunset, choosing the most production-forward option to spur housing in a tough construction market. Continue Reading

Date posted05/19/2026


Gustavo Apiti Couture: A Decade of Bespoke Tailoring in Bellevue
Gustavo Apiti Couture: A Decade of Bespoke Tailoring in Bellevue

Bellevue couture house Gustavo Apiti Couture marks a decade in the city, dressing Russell Wilson and Jay Inslee from a single studio. Founder Gustavo Apiti, a Project Runway finalist and African Achievement Award winner, preps the L'Âme du Luxe en Couture S/S 2026 runway show this spring. Continue Reading

Date posted05/18/2026


EBRT Recap: Dow Constantine on Sound Transit's $35B Reset and a Region That's Done Debating Transit
EBRT Recap: Dow Constantine on Sound Transit's $35B Reset and a Region That's Done Debating Transit

Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine closed the Chamber's 2025-2026 EBRT season with the agency's revised system plan, the path to close a $35B deficit, a fare-gate pilot at up to 14 stations, a coming fleet replacement order, and Sound Transit's all-hands plan for next month's FIFA World Cup. Continue Reading

Date posted05/14/2026