June's Transportation Committee heard Bellevue's FIFA World Cup readiness plan, then Councilmember Claudia Balducci explained her no vote on Sound Transit's realignment and where Eastside advocacy goes next. Continue Reading
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
The Chamber presented its case to rethink BelRed's prescriptive street grid: $1,000 per lineal foot costs, fragmented ownership across 32 landowners, and no traffic-based need per the city's own EIS. Four recommendations would keep connectivity while letting housing move forward. Continue Reading
Inside the June Policy Council: Bellevue's federal agenda wins including a $2M Grand Connection earmark, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit's $700M-a-year potential for Washington schools, and our vote to join the Washington Student Success Coalition. Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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
