February 17, 2026

Backed by Microsoft and Amazon, 328 Redmond units break ground Thursday

Rendering by Perkins Eastman [enlarge]

The Prisma apartments will be right next to the Overlake Village Station.

After a few years of planning, Bellwether Housing and Walsh Construction will break ground this Thursday on the 328-unit Prisma apartments in Redmond.

Sound Transit conveyed the 2.4-acre triangle to the nonprofit last month. It's at 2888 Da Vinci Ave. N.E., right next to Overlake Village Station.

Perkins Eastman designed the 344,667-square-foot, six-story project, which is anticipated to open in about two years. Construction will be standard Type III-A wood over Type I-A concrete.

Funding sources include the city, county, Washington State Housing Finance Commission (via a bond issue), Citibank (brokering the bonds), ARCH (A Regional Coalition for Housing), Microsoft and the Amazon Housing Equity Fund (which put up $36 million). A cascade of loans accompanied the January land deal. The budget hasn't been formally announced. The approved bond issue carries a maximum value of $98 million, per the WSHFC, which values the Prisma project at $168.7 million.

Units will be affordable to households with incomes between 30% and 80% of area median income. The mix will range from studios up to three-beds. A few apartments may be used by case managers and onsite staff.

The ceremonial groundbreaking takes place at 2:30 p.m., with a nearby gathering to follow at the Aloft Hotel. Representatives from Bellwether, the city, Amazon and other backers will attend.

The unpriced land deal also includes an outparcel destined to become a future pocket park. That's likely to be a construction staging area for the next two years.

Also at Prisma, says Bellwether, “This community will include set-asides and services specific to people living with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities.” Hopelink will provide support services for those residents.

That grade-level service, clinic, office and retail area totals about 12,500 square feet. Two structured levels of parking will have about 115 stalls. Bike parking should have some 328 stalls.

The Prisma team also includes MIG, landscape architect; Atlas Design Group, structural engineer; PanGeo, geotechnical engineer; Core Design, surveyor; TenW, traffic consultant; Latitude 48 Engineering, civil; and Delta Consulting, MEP.

As with other Sound Transit's other surplus housing sites, Prisma is very TOD. It's right next to the bike/ped bridge connecting the east and west campuses of Microsoft. And on the highway's west side is the 520 Trail leading from Redmond to Seattle. A Safeway, plus many more shops and food joints, are a short walk south.

By the time Prisma opens, of course, the 2 Line will be about two years old. That line will connect to Seattle in late March.