Bellevue approved an ordinance last month requiring preservation of Main Street-facing facades in Old Bellevue as downtown growth pushes into the historic neighborhood, where residents hope new protections will prevent redevelopment from erasing the area’s character.
Longtime resident Boog Bookey, who grew up near 102nd Avenue Northeast and Main Street, remembers when the area was filled with orchards and there was “one building over two stories tall.” Today, Bookey calls it “so dense” and says new protections give her hope the neighborhood’s character won’t disappear. “I think it’s a great idea. It gives us a lot of character,” she said.
Councilmember Lynne Robinson, Bellevue’s former longtime mayor, has led efforts to protect parts of the district, arguing that Old Bellevue’s charm is one of the city’s most popular draws. The ordinance requires that Main Street-facing facades and their design features be preserved up to the second floor when buildings are redeveloped, altered or demolished within the interim official control area.
If a property owner can show a facade is less than 50 years old and lacks historic or cultural value, it may be demolished. However, any rebuild must reflect Old Bellevue’s character. For redeveloped facades, the ordinance calls for design elements that match the surrounding streetscape, including proportions similar to adjacent buildings. The ordinance does not affect projects already approved by the city.
In a December 2025 management brief, Robinson asked the council to adopt an emergency, temporary interim official control to preserve the “character, scale and identity” of Main Street while the city considers broader code changes. A council agenda memo notes the city has not completed a formal historic or cultural inventory of Old Bellevue in roughly 30 years. Previous surveys identified historic or cultural value in multiple properties along the corridor.
The protections arrive as Bellevue transforms from a suburban city into a major urban center, with downtown development now encroaching on Old Bellevue’s low-rise commercial district. The tension between preservation and growth reflects broader debates in rapidly developing Eastside communities about what character should be maintained as density increases.
