Downtown Bellevue is about to get a striking new addition to the skyline. Developer Skanska recently released renderings for Bevel, a 12-story office building at 106th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Ninth Place, built primarily from mass timber rather than traditional steel and concrete. City design review is expected to wrap up by late summer.
Rather than a typical glass-and-steel tower, Bevel will be built with timber, significantly cutting its carbon footprint, which has become a real selling point for environmentally minded businesses. Skanska is pairing that approach with stormwater reuse systems, energy-efficient building systems, and site design meant to support local wildlife. The development group is targeting LEED Platinum, Salmon-Safe, and Fitwel 2-Star certifications.
At 180 feet tall, Bevel would become one of the tallest mass-timber office buildings in the country, offering about 200,000 square feet of rentable space, plus 246 parking stalls, within a larger 304,590-square-foot structure. The world’s tallest mass-timber building is Ascent MKE in Milwaukee at 284 feet tall.
Bevel’s design focuses on natural materials and abundant daylight, with generous landscaping meant to blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. The idea is to create a workplace that feels calmer and more connected to nature, something Skanska is betting will appeal to tenants who could work almost anywhere.
Higher interest rates and rising office vacancies have put a damper on new construction across the region. Skanska has plans to fund Bevel itself rather than bring in an outside investor, which should help it avoid the financing struggles other developers are facing. Groundbreaking is expected in late 2026, with completion targeted for late 2028.
The project also arrives at a moment of rising confidence in the local office market. Leasing activity has picked up as more tenants seek newer, high-quality space, and downtown Bellevue has led that trend regionally, with 851,255 square feet leased so far this year and the highest average rental rate in the Puget Sound area at $53.93 per square foot. With just four other office projects, totaling 123,667 square feet, currently under construction regionwide, buildings like Bevel may find themselves with less competition for tenants than developers have seen in years.
This post was based on information found on The Downtown Bellevue Network, Puget Sound Business Journal, and 425 Business.
Photo courtesy of Skanska.
