From empty block to skyline.

The first and slowest act is the hole. Before any tower rises, crews dig a deep excavation across nearly the entire ~4-acre superblock to make room for roughly 1,712 parking stalls, most of them below grade. Shoring the walls, hauling out spoil and pouring the foundation mats for three towers can take the better part of the first year on its own — all of it happening largely out of sight, below street level. (figures approximate)

From there the work goes podium-first: the shared base that knits the three towers together — lobbies, retail, the daycare and amenity levels — is built across the block before the towers climb above it. Only then do the two residential towers and the office tower begin their vertical run toward the ~600-ft Bellevue ceiling, floor by repeated floor.

Expect tower cranes on the skyline for years. Multiple cranes will leapfrog up alongside each tower, becoming the most visible sign of progress from across downtown long before any facade goes on. A topping-out for the tallest tower is the milestone that signals the structure has reached full height.

At street level, the nearest-term impact is along 106th Ave NE: expect periodic lane and sidewalk closures, hauling traffic and pedestrian detours around the site once excavation ramps up. The timing remains contingent on the excavation, shoring and below-grade permits that are still moving through city review.