PACE Receives a $6 Million Grant

It was announced last week that the Performing Arts Center Eastside, also known as PACE, received a $6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to complete the 2,000-seat facility that when done will feature national and international performances.

Downtown Bellevue's portfolio, although quite impressive, is still missing an entertainment venue allowing musicians who bring larger audiences to have a place to play. PACE, which plans to be complete in 2010, will bring a dynamic and much needed music venue to the Downtown Core.

The Hyatt's remodel will nicely accompany and interact with PACE once it is complete. This "superblock," as you can see from the image below, has plans to deliver additional upgrades to where the Washington Mutual building currently stands, as well as the office building on 106th Ave.

The $6 million grant brings the grand total of received contributions to PACE for the project, to $30 million. The campaigns goal is $160 million.

Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition Opens Saturday

The Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition hosts their Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, June 14th from 6-8pm at Bellevue City Hall, complete with hors d'oeuvres and live entertainment.

This year's theme of "Sculpted Green," relates art to ecology, environmentalism, sustainability, or other similar green notions.

The exhibit plays host to over 35 sculptures through October.

Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition On Display
When: June 12th - October 5th
Where: Bellevue City Hall 450 110th Ave NE

Bellevue Jazz Festival

The Bellevue Jazz Festival will play host to 8 live performances, spanning from April 9th - May 24th. The headliner for this festival is three-time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who will perform within a quartet Friday, May 23rd over Memorial Day weekend at Meydenbauer Center.

The Bellevue Jazz Festival is put on by the Downtown Bellevue Association, and will build upon this years festival in the future by expanding the festival performers to national acts, educational workshops, and panel discussions. Tickets for the Jazz Festival are now on sale. More information and tickets, go to bellevuejazz.com.

April 9th 5-6:30pm
Jovino Santos Neto
Bellevue Arts Museum

April 16th 5-6:30pm
Gail Pettis
Bellevue Arts Museum

April 23rd 5-6:30
Pearl Django
Bellevue Arts Museum

April 30th 5-6:30
Thomas Marriott
Bellevue City Hall

May 7th 5-6:30
Ben Thomas
Key Center

May 14th 5-6:30
Greta Matassa
Civica Office Commons

May 23rd 8pm
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Meydenbauer Center (Center Hall)

May 24th 9pm
Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Meydenbauer Center (Center Hall)

Bellevue Beats Seattle, Says "The Stranger"

In a recent article written by Charles Mudede at The Stranger, he talks about how in November The Bellevue City Hall building won an American Institute of Architects 2007 Honor Award for Washington Architecture.

The majority of the article talks about how Bellevue's architecture in the past has been considered, as he states, "a very, very, very ordinary one." He goes on to call Bellevue's marriage with architecture, "all about bills, bank machines, and shopping."

This for the most part has been true until now. Downtown Bellevue's past has been notoriously known for Bellevue Square Mall and sleepy office buildings, but the skyline is now filled with cranes, showing great growth. Exciting tenants such as Yahoo! and Expedia.com are now flocking to Bellevue buildings, which have some of the lowest vacancy rates in the nation. This, along with many condos and apartment buildings, will bring a lively and rich culture to the Downtown core.

The article continues to criticize Seattle City Hall in its approach to the design and praises Bellevue's well done job of simplicity and good design. The Seattle favored newspaper ends with:

"This must never happen again! Let's hope that Bellevue City Hall is an anomaly. Bellevue must remain as Bellevue, with its malls, office buildings, and other products of what architect Rem Koolhaas calls junspace. Seattle must generate and dominate the higher culture of the region."

There are many other beautifully designed buildings under construction and on their way towards completion in Downtown Belleve. The flourishing growth of buildings and culture has just begun. Seattle, be prepared, this is nowhere near the last of the awards we'll be receiving.

Big Plans for Bel-Red Road

The Seattle Times reported today the big plans that the City of Bellevue's steering committee have suggested for the Bel-Red Corridor.

The Bel-Red Corridor is full of run down shopping and industrial complexes. It hardly fits in with the exponentially growing areas of Downtown Bellevue. Because there is so much land in this 900-acre corridor it could potentially be the last time for a long while that the City of Bellevue gets an opportunity to create major change in a large area so close to the heart of Downtown Bellevue.

Some of the highlighted and potential upgrades to the area would include high-rise buildings, a recreational sports complex, and an arts district. Many of the ideas such as recreational sports complex which would include ballfields, an aquatic center, an indoor sports facility would support the many people that will be living Downtown in the coming years.

The plans aren't final, the council likely won't sign off on a plan until next spring or summer.

See the City of Bellevue Steering Committee Recommendation

Bellevue Arts Museum in need of cash after C.F.O. Suspected of Stealing $300,000

The Seattle Times leaked a story yesterday about the Bellevue Arts Museum and its financial situation.

Bellevue Arts Museum, which had been closed for two years before reopening told the City of Bellevue Monday it is in need of $2 Million to support their cash flow and continue the growth of their museum in Downtown Bellevue.

In May the Chief Financial Officer for the Bellevue Arts Museum was suspected of embezzling $300,000 during her two years on the job.

If you want to help become a member, a donor, or a corporate sponsor. Or just simply go to the museum and check out their exhibits! It is $7 for adults, and $5 for children and seniors.

The Bellevue Arts Museum is located across the street from Bellevue Square in the heart of Downtown Bellevue. It is placed for success, yet many people I have spoken with have never attended an exhibit at the museum.

With Downtown Bellevue growing at the pace it is, the Museum has an opportunity to grow its enthusiasts (customers) and become the staple for the arts sector in Bellevue. To do this it must offer something unique and interesting to residents and visitors. Currently there is a lack of buzz, a lack of interest. My belief is if they can change this, the revenue problem will solve itself.

What would lure you into the Bellevue Arts Museum? What would you like to see more of?