Factoria, Bellevue, Washington
Encyclopedia
Factoria is a mixed-use
urban neighborhood in south Bellevue, Washington
and is one of the city's significant commercial districts. Originally timberland from the 1890s to 1920s and later envisioned as an industrial center, Factoria has since the 1960s evolved into commercial and residential development. Factoria was annexed into Bellevue in 1993. The core neighborhood is bounded by Interstate 90
to the north, Interstate 405
to the west, Newport Way to the east, and Coal Creek
Parkway to the south.
laid tracks through the largely uninhabited area along the shores of Lake Washington near Mercer Island. In the early 1900s a large industrial center was envisioned by a group of Seattle investors led by E. L. Skeel on what is now the interchange of Interstate 405
and I-90. In 1908 Skeel formed the Mercer Land Company and platted several blocks adjoining the railroad tracks. The new community was to be named Mercer. A stove factory was constructed at the town-site but never manufactured a single stove. By 1911, development of the community was at a standstill and the company, now run by a Sarah Kendall with Skeel as secretary, filed a new plat featuring more blocks and public space. The project was now called Factoria, a name that would hopefully attract major industries, which it never did.
In the late 1920s Factoria became the headquarters for the burgeoning rabbit industry on the East Side. In 1927, an abandoned local factory was converted into a processing plant for canned rabbit meat and fur as well as a marketing headquarters for the industry. In 1939, construction began on a new $800,000 highway project that straightened out the Sunset Highway between Issaquah and Mercer Island and eventually led to the construction of the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge
across Lake Washington. The new four-lane highway passed directly through Factoria and intersected with Lake Washington Boulevard, then the major North-South highway on the East side.
Following the opening of the bridge and highway in 1940, Factoria became a major crossroads. In 1950, the 900-car Sunset Outdoor Theatre was constructed near the intersection by Sterling Theatres, Inc.
Factoria remained largely undeveloped up until the 1960s, when freeway construction put the area at the intersection of two major arterials, Interstate 405
and Interstate 90
, which would replace most of the original town-site and create a major suburban retail center.
. Typical to a business district, Factoria is dotted with shops, business services, and restaurants.
, Somerset, Newport Hills, Newport Shores, Mockingbird Hill, Greenwich Crest, and Woodridge. The Factoria area represents a community of about 2100 acres (8.5 km²) bounded by Interstate 90 to the north, Lake Washington to the west, the Somerset Hills to the east, the Newport Hills to the south. The area contains about 5,000 residential units, 11000000 square feet (1,021,933.4 m²) of commercial space, and offices employing 7,500 people. Public transportation in Factoria is served by King County Metro buses, primarily routes 222, 240, and 245. Factoria Boulevard, Richards Road, Eastgate Way, Newport Way, and Coal Creek Parkway are major arterials
that lead to or through the Factoria area.
, Old Navy
, T.J. Maxx
, DSW Shoe Warehouse
, Nordstrom Rack
, Rite Aid
, and Safeway
. In 2008, the mall was slated for new urbanist
redevelopment and to be renamed Marketplace at Factoria. As of 2009, development has halted, presumably due to the 2009 financial crisis.
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
urban neighborhood in south Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
and is one of the city's significant commercial districts. Originally timberland from the 1890s to 1920s and later envisioned as an industrial center, Factoria has since the 1960s evolved into commercial and residential development. Factoria was annexed into Bellevue in 1993. The core neighborhood is bounded by Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Washington
Interstate 90 , a transcontinental Interstate Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, crosses the state of Washington before crossing the Idaho state line between Spokane and Post Falls...
to the north, Interstate 405
Interstate 405 (Washington)
Interstate 405 in Washington is a stretch of freeway that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila...
to the west, Newport Way to the east, and Coal Creek
Coal Creek (Washington)
Coal Creek is a creek in Newcastle, Washington, on Seattle's Eastside. It is named for the coal mining industry prominent in the area in the 19th century. There is a popular trail which parallels the creek, allowing views of defunct coal mining equipment and even some bits of coal sitting on the...
Parkway to the south.
History
In the late 1890s, the Northern Pacific RailwayNorthern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
laid tracks through the largely uninhabited area along the shores of Lake Washington near Mercer Island. In the early 1900s a large industrial center was envisioned by a group of Seattle investors led by E. L. Skeel on what is now the interchange of Interstate 405
Interstate 405
Interstate 405 may refer to:* Interstate 405 , a bypass of Los Angeles, California* Interstate 405 , a loop in Portland, Oregon* Interstate 405 , a bypass of Seattle, Washington...
and I-90. In 1908 Skeel formed the Mercer Land Company and platted several blocks adjoining the railroad tracks. The new community was to be named Mercer. A stove factory was constructed at the town-site but never manufactured a single stove. By 1911, development of the community was at a standstill and the company, now run by a Sarah Kendall with Skeel as secretary, filed a new plat featuring more blocks and public space. The project was now called Factoria, a name that would hopefully attract major industries, which it never did.
In the late 1920s Factoria became the headquarters for the burgeoning rabbit industry on the East Side. In 1927, an abandoned local factory was converted into a processing plant for canned rabbit meat and fur as well as a marketing headquarters for the industry. In 1939, construction began on a new $800,000 highway project that straightened out the Sunset Highway between Issaquah and Mercer Island and eventually led to the construction of the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge
Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge
The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Island, Washington. It is the second longest floating bridge on Earth at , whereas the longest is the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge just a few...
across Lake Washington. The new four-lane highway passed directly through Factoria and intersected with Lake Washington Boulevard, then the major North-South highway on the East side.
Following the opening of the bridge and highway in 1940, Factoria became a major crossroads. In 1950, the 900-car Sunset Outdoor Theatre was constructed near the intersection by Sterling Theatres, Inc.
Factoria remained largely undeveloped up until the 1960s, when freeway construction put the area at the intersection of two major arterials, Interstate 405
Interstate 405 (Washington)
Interstate 405 in Washington is a stretch of freeway that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila...
and Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Washington
Interstate 90 , a transcontinental Interstate Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, crosses the state of Washington before crossing the Idaho state line between Spokane and Post Falls...
, which would replace most of the original town-site and create a major suburban retail center.
Commerce and industry
Factoria's commercial development is centered around Factoria Mall, a nearby eight-theater cinema, and several grocery stores. Numerous office buildings of various size are scattered in the area, most significantly the six-tower Newport Corporate Center, occupied primarily by T-Mobile USAT-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
. Typical to a business district, Factoria is dotted with shops, business services, and restaurants.
Geography
Factoria serves as a commercial center for surrounding residential neighborhoods, such as EastgateEastgate, Washington
Eastgate is a census-designated place in unincorporated King County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,958 at the 2010 census....
, Somerset, Newport Hills, Newport Shores, Mockingbird Hill, Greenwich Crest, and Woodridge. The Factoria area represents a community of about 2100 acres (8.5 km²) bounded by Interstate 90 to the north, Lake Washington to the west, the Somerset Hills to the east, the Newport Hills to the south. The area contains about 5,000 residential units, 11000000 square feet (1,021,933.4 m²) of commercial space, and offices employing 7,500 people. Public transportation in Factoria is served by King County Metro buses, primarily routes 222, 240, and 245. Factoria Boulevard, Richards Road, Eastgate Way, Newport Way, and Coal Creek Parkway are major arterials
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
that lead to or through the Factoria area.
Surrounding cities and neighborhoods
Factoria Mall
Factoria Mall, first opened in 1977 under the name Factoria Square, contains about 40 retailers and is anchored by TargetTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, T.J. Maxx
T.J. Maxx
T.J. Maxx, sometimes referred to as TJ's or the Maxx, is an American department store chain owned by TJX Companies. With more than 900 stores T.J. Maxx is a major clothes retailer in the United States, whilst also operating stores in a number of other countries.-History:In 1976, T.J...
, DSW Shoe Warehouse
DSW, Inc.
-History:DSW opened its first store in July 1991 in Dublin, Ohio. In 1998, Value City Department Stores, Inc. purchased DSW. In December 2004, Retail Ventures, Inc. consolidated several brands. Until July 5, 2005, DSW operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc...
, Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
, Rite Aid
Rite Aid
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
, and Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
. In 2008, the mall was slated for new urbanist
New urbanism
New Urbanism is an urban design movement, which promotes walkable neighborhoods that contain a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually continued to reform many aspects of real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use...
redevelopment and to be renamed Marketplace at Factoria. As of 2009, development has halted, presumably due to the 2009 financial crisis.
Places
- T-Mobile USAT-Mobile USAT-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
US headquarters (formerly Western Wireless CorporationWestern Wireless CorporationWestern Wireless Corporation was a cellular network operator that provided mobile telecommunications service to subscribers in 19 western states and seven countries. Western Wireless marketed analog cellular service under the CELLULAR ONE brand in 88 FCC-defined rural service areas and digital PCS...
headquarters) - Factoria Mall
- LoehmannsLoehmann'sLoehmann's is a chain of off-price department stores in the United States.Loehmann's is best known for its "Back Room," where women interested in fashion can find designer clothes at prices lower than in department or specialty stores...
Plaza - Newport High School
- Lower Coal Creek Trail