May 6, 2026

Dickson begins demolishing half-built Bellevue hotel, with 146 affordable units to follow

Photo by Brian Miller [enlarge]

A peek over the construction fencing last weekend ...

Once planned to be a Holiday Inn Express, at 995 118th Ave. S.E. in Bellevue, there’s instead been an abandoned concrete foundation sitting there for nearly a half dozen years. Much has happened since the hotel groundbreaking in 2019, under different ownership. The entire 4.5-acre site, west of the freeway near Mercer Slough, was acquired by SRM Development in 2021.

With public funding and Microsoft backing, SRM completed the 135-unit Nuovo apartments last year. That’s the west Phase I component of a two-building affordable housing project. Nuovo is set back farther from 118th.

Facing 118th, the stalled hotel foundation is now being demolished by Dickson Demolition, as the DJC verified last weekend. That’s to be the site of the east Phase II building, aka Altaire at East Main. SRM hopes to start next spring on that seven-story, 146-unit project, which was designed by Urbal Architecture. The city issued the demo permit in late March.

Rendering via Urbal Architecture [enlarge]

... and the future Altaire (with Nuovo at left).

The DJC last reported on Altaire at East Main in February. SRM added some new details in a March press release. Now officially attached to the effort is Hopelink, to provide resident services.

SRM then said, “The project recently received funding awards from the city of Bellevue, ARCH, King County and the Washington State Housing Trust Fund, and is scheduled to break ground in the first quarter of 2027.”