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Bellevue getting apartments for low income, homeless BY BRANDON MACZ
From left: LIHI Executive Director Sharon Lee, HUD Regional Administrator Bill Block, John Tarrant of National Equity Fund (NEF), Bellevue City Councilmember Lynne Robinson, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) Executive Director Stephen Norman, state Rep Tana Senn (D-41st) and Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci.
BELLEVUE REPORTER
The Low Income Housing Institute anticipates opening up its first Eastside apartment in Bellevue next year after construction began earlier this month on its $16.6 million, 57-unit building project. Bellevue Apartments units are being constructed at 111th Avenue Northeast to house individuals and families making 60 percent or less of the area median income. For a family of four, that's $52,000. Twelve units are being set aside for the homeless, eight for veterans, three for families with developmental disabilities and one for a resident manager. Sound Mental Health is the social service provider. "This is our first project on the Eastside, the
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Performing arts center asks city for partnership BY BRANDON MACZ BELLEVUE REPORTER
Bellevue councilmembers agree the city is in need of a performing arts center, but are hesitant to commit to a public-private partnership to erect the Tateuchi Center downtown until more due diligence is done. The 175,000-square-foot performing arts center, proposed to be constructed at the corner of Northeast 10th Street and 106th Avenue Northeast, is funded at $65 million to date. That's far shy of its $160 million goal. The largest contribution came from the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation, for which the center is now named. City councilmembers heard another appeal for a public funding partner-
The Tateuchi Center has raised $65 million toward its goal of $160 million for a performing arts center. COURTESY PHOTO ship from Performing Arts Center Eastside Executive Director John Haynes on Monday night, as well as from resident advocates for the center's construction. "Tateuchi Center will bring the world's greatest performing artists to downtown Bellevue," said Haynes. "… Everything about Tateuchi Center is like Bellevue — first class, but not over-the-top." The performing arts center started as a solely private venture by PACE, but the recession in 2008 caused a huge hit to fundraising efforts. Haynes told the Reporter the design is complete, permits are issued, but funding is the final impediment to construction. There was no discussion Monday about how substantial a monetary commitment PACE is requesting for
the Tateuchi Center, and the City Council will be provided with a more thorough report at its next meeting. Councilmembers said they support a performing arts center in Bellevue, but need to know what they're legally allowed to contribute by way of public funding, how a public-private partnership would work and what assurances they would have that the center will be completed. "I think it's a regional project that would provide a regional benefit," said Councilmember Jennifer Robertson. "… Because it's a regional project, it's going to be a partnership with the region and the private partners." Deputy Mayor Kevin Wallace said all of the city's revenue streams have been allocated for other purposes,
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Bellevue Apartments. Likely, it's final name will not be the Bellevue Apartments," said Aaron Long, LIHI executive assistant, adding the apartment building will likely be named in honor of a deserving person from the community. "Bellevue is very underserved for low-income housing, and we wanted to get into that area." The institute reports the average rent in Bellevue has increased 9.4 percent over the past year to $1,692 per month, the highest in the region. "Many people employed in Bellevue's retail, hotel and service industry cannot afford to live near where they work," said LIHI executive director Sharon Lee in a news release. "We are thrilled to construct 57 new apartments for SEE APARTMENTS, 6
Prosecutor says jealousy behind I-90 road rage case BY BRANDON MACZ BELLEVUE REPORTER
The King County Prosecutor's Office alleges jealousy was a contributing factor in the Jan. 15 two-vehicle rollover on Interstate 90 in Bellevue, where one man is charged with ramming into his girlfriend's car multiple times at more than 100 mph while another man was behind the wheel. Desi C. Beltran is facing two counts of seconddegree assault and one count of second-degree assault (domestic violence) after he allegedly waited for his girlfriend's vehicle to pass by his along I-90 and instigated a high-speed chase, striking Karen M. Hardtke's Ford Freestyle multiple times before it and his Ford Explorer wrecked in Bellevue. According to police reports, Hardtke was with a SEE ROAD RAGE, 6