The latest & greatest on all things Bellevue, Eastside, and Chamber-member-related.
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
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
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
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
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
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
May Policy Council heard Challenge Seattle and BCG on the regional economic-development project, the governor's office on permitting and tax competitiveness, Diana's BMC TBD framework update, and approved the Sound Transit Enterprise Initiative letter. Continue Reading
The Chamber and the Housing Development Consortium wrote to Bellevue's Planning Commission on May 11, 2026, arguing the mandatory Bel-Red street grid is a direct impediment to affordable housing, and asking staff for four changes to the draft code. Continue Reading
Nineteen new businesses joined the Bellevue Chamber in April 2026, spanning hospitality, healthcare, professional services, home services, and the arts. Meet the newest members of the Eastside business network. Continue Reading
Inside the EKCC Legislative Wrap Up at Bellevue College: a recap of what the 2026 session left behind, with seven Eastside lawmakers and Microsoft on the structural deficit, the tax conversation, public safety, the AI shock, and the new state transmission authority. Continue Reading
The Bellevue Chamber's PLUSH Committee submitted recommendations to City Council on May 4, identifying five frequently departed code provisions as barriers and requesting targeted amendments as part of Downtown Livability 2.0. Continue Reading
Washington's exempt salary threshold hits $80,168 in 2026 and climbs toward $93,000 by 2028, by far the highest in the nation. What employers need to know about the three-part test, the multi-state comparison, and the steps to take now to stay compliant and competitive. Continue Reading
