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Downtown Bellevue is the central business district of Bellevue, Washington. It's comprised of 400 acres bounded by I-405 to the east, NE 12th Street to the north, 100th Ave NE to the west, and Main Street to the south.

As of 2010, downtown has 49,000 workers and is home to 9,000 residents.

History
Downtown Bellevue has been in the process of transforming from a suburban activity center to a regional growth center. City planners developed a more urban

The city developed a

Downtown Bellevue's first skyscraper was Paccar Tower which was built in 1970 in the international style.

2008
2008 was one of downtown's largest building booms in history with 15 major projects being built simultaneously that totaled 1.8 million square feet of office space, 375,000 square feet of retail, and 3,200 residential units.

Economy
Downtown Bellevue is the headquarters for Paccar, Expedia, Eddie Bauer, Drugstore.com, Infospace, Symetra Financial and Puget Sound Energy. Although headquartered in the nearby suburb of Redmond, Microsoft is downtown Bellevue's largest employer with over 5,000 workers.

Transportation
The street grid was designed in the 1950s with the automobile in mind. Avenues are long and wide with blocks reaching 600 feet in length. Downtown Bellevue is bordered on the east side by I-405.

Public Transportation - East Link

Parks
Downtown Park and Rose Garden is a 20 acre urban park located along Bellevue Way between the Bellevue Square Mall and Old Bellevue. It includes a half-mile promenade flanked by shade trees and a stepped canal, grassy fields, and a playground for children. Major holidays and activities are celebrated here, including the annual Symetra Family 4th of July, Summer Movie Nights, and the Group Health Ice Arena.

Meydenbauer Beach Park is a small beach located in Old Bellevue west of Bellevue Square. It fronts Meydenbauer Bay on Lake Washington, a freshwater lake that separates Bellevue and Seattle. The city has spent $43 million and over half a century planning and buying land with longterm plans to expand the park by 10 acres.

Retail
Anchored by The Bellevue Collection and The Shops at the Bravern, downtown Bellevue is a regional shopping destination. The Bellevue Collection is a trio of mixed-use complexes of shops, offices, hotels, and condos. Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square, and Bellevue Place feature over 200 shops and restaurants, three department stores, and a 16-screen cinema.

Opened in 2009, the Bravern is a high-end complex of shops, apartments, and offices located on the eastern edge of downtown adjacent to I-405. It features the only Neiman Marcus in the Northwest.

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