October 9, 2025

With Compass as the builder, 274 Bellevue units at Spring District gain city approval

Renderings by Runberg Architecture Group [enlarge]

Runberg Architecture Group is designing the Phase I apartment building. The light-rail tracks will run along the west corner.

Immediately west of the Spring District in Bellevue is a doomed old office park, spanning about 10 acres. That's eventually destined to become the Alexandria Center for Science and Technology (or ACST), from Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

Planning began four years ago. Three life-science buildings and two apartment buildings are proposed at and around 1445 120th Ave. N.E. The city approved the master development plan, from architect Gensler, in the fall of last year. It will proceed in phases, likely over a decade or so.

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About five weeks ago, the city also approved the Phase I apartment building, designed by Runberg Architecture Group and with Gables Residential as the developer and operator. That's to be a seven-story, 274-unit project on the northwest corner of the property, facing south to Northeast 12th Street. The light-rail tracks will run along its west corner. The public comment period has passed for what the city calls Gables 12th Place.

Compass is attached to build the 371,599-square-foot project, on a team that also includes Clarion Partners, financial partner; Berger Partnership, landscape architect; Bee Consulting, envelope; TenW, traffic consultant; Coughlin Porter Lundeen, civil engineer; Aspect Consulting, environmental engineer; GeoEngineers, geotechnical; Axis, surveyor; TFWB Engineers, electrical; Ecotope; and Rushing (now IMEG).

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Three life-science buildings and two apartment buildings are proposed.

Lot boundary lines will be redrawn into smaller parcels after the office park demo, along with new interior driveways. New addresses will then emerge. The Phase I apartments will have about 2 acres. That building will include two levels of underground parking, with 214 stalls. Many will likely have EV charging, since the project will pursue some level of LEED certification.

Apartments look to run from a 436-square-foot studio up to a two-bed with 1,238 square feet. About 54 units will be affordable, under the city's multifamily property tax exemption program.

Amenities are to include co-work areas, lounges, terraces, a gym, bike parking, etc. No start date has been announced. Construction is to be standard Type III-A wood over Type I-A concrete.

The 10-acre site will become the Alexandria Center for Science and Technology.

Alexandria's MDP includes the south triangle at 12th and 120th, which is still owned by Pine Forest Properties. (It previously sold the larger north end to Alexandria.) The city considers that south midrise apartment building to be Phase II, which is to have 123 units. Weber Thompson is the architect there.

Then, Alexandria's long-term plan calls for three life-science buildings with about 701,687 square feet of lab and office space. Again, there's no declared schedule for that. Gensler is designing that trio, with the builder listed as Howard S. Wright (a Balfour Beatty company).