Bellevue officials unveil trio of designs for mall

Bellevue city officials have unveiled plans for the Crossroads mall that would add 300 to 880 apartments or condominiums over the next 20 years.

After three months of meeting with neighbors and business owners, the city staff presented three possible designs for the mall a few weeks ago. All of the plans would add hundreds of housing units above ground-floor retail and offices in what is now the mall's east parking lot.

The lot would have pedestrian walkways and parkland that would better connect the mall to Crossroads Park to the east. All the plans include a six-story hotel just north of Crossroads Cinema.

Ron Sher, the mall's managing partner, has said he wants a bustling city district that gets people outside and connected with each other.

• The first plan, called "Terrace Park," would have 300 to 400 housing units, 60,000 square feet of new retail and 24,000 square feet of new offices. A 1 ½-<137,2006/7/14/17/34/20,jholloron> <137>acre park would connect to the Crossroads Community Center and serve as an amphitheater.

• The "Village Green" plan would have 560 to 660 housing units, 65,000 square feet of new retail and 40,000 square feet of new offices. A 3-acre village green and plaza linking the community center and mall food court would encourage people to spend time outside.

• The "Central Park" design is "the one where we're pushing the limits to test out some ideas," said Andrew Kidde, city mediation-program manager. The plan would include 780 to 880 housing units, 74,000 square feet of new retail and 60,000 square feet of new offices. The new mixed-use buildings would be four or five stories tall, and a 5.6-acre central park would merge with Crossroads Park.

Part of the existing mall would be removed to make way for a narrow piece of green space to be extended west to 156th Avenue Northeast.

All three plans will be reviewed by the City Council and planning and transportation commissions this month. A group of residents and business owners will meet in September to pick a "preferred" plan, which could include elements of all three designs.

The City Council is expected to sign off on a final design in December or January.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com