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What a sale of the Bellevue Collection could change

By Brian H. Liou · Drafted with Claude; edited with Codex · Published 7 October 2026 · Updated 20 October 2026

4
connected developments
5.5M
portfolio sq ft, per owner
3
hotels in the Collection
1946
Bellevue Square opened
NE 6th Street at night, lined with globe lamps, looking west to the lit Bellevue Square sign and a clock tower
Bellevue Square from NE 6th Street at night, 31 October 2026. The mall, opened in 1946, is the oldest of the four developments.

The Freeman family is exploring a sale of Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place and Lincoln Square North and South. Together they form a downtown district of shops, restaurants, workplaces, hotels and homes. The paused expansion at Bellevue Square is one concrete decision a future owner would face.

Bellevue Square sits west of Bellevue Way; the other three developments rise across the street, connected by skybridges. Kemper describes the portfolio as 5.5 million square feet. Its three hotels are Hyatt Regency Bellevue, The Westin Bellevue and W Bellevue. For a regular visitor, a possible sale concerns this connected district and the choices that shape its next phase.

Where this is

Gold outlines simplify county research parcels by development, including parking; internal seams are omitted. County snapshot: 29 August 2026. These are not certified sale boundaries. Drag to explore; scroll to zoom. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; tiles by OpenFreeMap. Blue: the 2 Line.

What has been announced

Sale exploration and broker selection are documented. Marketing launch, an agreement and a completed sale are separate steps.

The sale process

  1. The family explores a sale

    The Freeman family and Kemper Development announce they're exploring a sale of the Collection.

  2. A broker is selected

    Kemper selects Eastdil Secured Savills to guide “the next phase of the sales process.”

  3. Expansion is paused

    Kemper pauses its planned expansion, The Bellevue, and leaves the decision to the next owner.

  4. The marketing plan is described

    425 Business reports that Kemper hopes to have an offering memorandum later in October to begin marketing. If Kemper's conditions are met, it says, a deal could close by next summer. Melby: “we don’t have a price to share.”

  5. At the latest source check

    No report found that marketing has formally begun. No price, bidder or buyer has been announced.

Checked Tuesday 20 October 2026 against Kemper's announcements and local reporting.

The paused expansion is a decision ahead

September reporting says Kemper paused The Bellevue, the proposed expansion at Bellevue Square's southeast corner across from Downtown Park, and would hand the project materials to a next owner.

Earlier plans included homes, a hotel, shops and a public plaza. That makes the site a concrete question for downtown's future: what gets built, which plans carry forward and when a funded proposal advances. Those choices remain open in the sources reviewed here.

That is a different stage from preparing the site. The dated utility-work and permit record remains in the source notes; this article does not establish a construction start or a current approval for the proposed buildings.

What regular users can take from the announcements

In its August announcement, Kemper said the Collection would continue operating normally and community programming, including Snowflake Lane, would go ahead through 2026. That is a dated statement from the owner. Future tenant-mix decisions, lease arrangements and programming commitments have not been established in this review.

The ownership record behind the district

Kemper Freeman Sr. opened Bellevue Shopping Square in 1946. His son, Kemper Freeman Jr., took over in the 1970s and led its expansion into the shopping, office and hotel district around Bellevue Way. The company's August 2026 announcement names Jim Melby as CEO and says Freeman retired in 2025.

Kemper runs the Collection as one portfolio, but county records divide it among several property-holding companies. Those labels do not tell us who could approve a sale. The detailed owner and taxpayer table is in the source notes.

Our 29 August 2026 snapshot contains 34 county records across 31 ground shapes, including condominium components and parking. The shared condominium footprint is one reason these records cannot be read as 34 separate buildings.

One portfolio, several property-holding companies

Hover, focus or tap a shape for its parcel ID and record names. Four condominium records share one footprint.

Shared condominium footprint: 4323430000, 4323420000, 4323410000, 4323400000432335000029250590562925059061292505908429250591032925059130292505932115441000111544100020154410004015441000811544100082154410009015441001011544100112154410012015441001211544100122154410012315441001301544100131154410015015441001901544100191154410019215441001940685700060068570006506857000800685700092BellevueSquareBellevuePlaceLincoln SquareNorthLincoln SquareSouth
Kemper namedOther recorded namesShared condominium footprintParking label in records
34 county records, 31 distinct ground shapes. An owner is shown where listed; condominium unit taxpayer names are shown separately. Retrieved 29 August 2026. These records establish neither ownership shares nor a certified sale boundary. See all 34 records in the source notes.

Individually owned condominiums belong to the physical district; that does not establish their inclusion in a portfolio sale. The map identifies county research records, not a broker-certified offering boundary. The 2024 deed exchange and full amounts remain in the source notes.

Three developments worth watching

The transaction. A dated marketing launch, agreement or buyer announcement would establish a later stage of the sale process. The sources checked for this edition do not verify a completed transaction.

The expansion. A revised proposal or a decision to fund and advance the plans would make the future of the southeast corner more concrete. The pause leaves that choice open.

Operating commitments. Specific statements about shops, workplaces, hotels and programming would show what users could expect beyond the owner's 2026 commitment.

For people who use the district, these are the developments that would turn a possible ownership change into a clearer picture of downtown's future.

How this was checked

How this was checked

Parcel records behind the map

King County snapshot retrieved 29 August 2026. Four Lincoln Square condominium records share one ground footprint; their components are not four separately mapped lots. These names do not establish beneficial ownership or sale authority. Recorded lot areas can overlap and should not be added as separate physical land areas.

Parcel IDCounty property labelOwner or taxpayer names
0685700060BELLEVUE PLACE PARKING (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
0685700065BELLEVUE PLACE PARKING (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
0685700080REDWOOD BLDG (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
0685700092CASCADE BLDG (Core)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE PROPERTIES LLC
1544100011PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist A)Recorded owner: BRICE FAMILY LLC +BELLEVUE
1544100020NE CORNER OFFICE & RETAIL (Dist B)Recorded owner: BRICE FAMILY LLC +BELLEVUE
1544100040BELLEVUE SQUARE ANCHOR STORES (Dist A & B)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100081PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Core)Recorded owner: BRICE FAMILY LLC +BELLEVUE
1544100082PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100090PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Core)Recorded owner: BRICE FAMILY LLC +BELLEVUE
1544100101PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Core)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE SQUARE LLC
1544100112BELLEVUE SQUARE RETAIL STORES (Dist A & B)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100120PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist A)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE SQUARE LLC
1544100121PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist A)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE SQUARE LLC
1544100122PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist A)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100123PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist A)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE SQUARE LLC
1544100130PARKING RAMP - BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist B)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100131PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist B)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100150PARKING RAMP - BELLEVUE SQUARE (Dist B)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100190PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100191PARKING LOT (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
1544100192PARKING LOT (Core)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE SQUARE LLC
1544100194PARKING- BELLEVUE SQUARE (Core)Recorded owner: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
2925059056BELLEVUE PLACE (Core)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE PLACE OFFICE
2925059061WENDY'S PARKING (econ unit w/-9130)Recorded owner: BELLEVUE PROPERTIES LLC
2925059084BELLEVUE PLACE (ASSOCIATED WITH TAX LOT -9056) (CoRecorded owner: BELLEVUE PROPERTIES LLC
2925059103HYATT REGENCY BELLEVUE PLACERecorded owner: BELLEVUE PLACE HOTEL LLC
2925059130WENDYSRecorded owner: BELLEVUE PROPERTIES LP
2925059321HYATT REGENCY HOTEL - BELLEVUE PLACE 2ND WINGRecorded owner: BELLEVUE PLACE HOTEL LLC
4323350000LINCOLN SQUARE EXPANSION (Core) W HOTELCondo unit taxpayer names: LS2 GARAGE LLC; LS2 HOTEL LLC; LS2 OFFICE LLC; LS2 RESIDENTIAL LLC; LS2 RETAIL LLC
4323400000LINCOLN SQUARE GARAGE (Core)Condo unit taxpayer names: LINCOLN SQUARE GARAGE LLC
4323410000BELLEVUE WESTIN AT LINCOLN SQUARECondo unit taxpayer names: LINCOLN SQUARE HOTEL LLC
4323420000LINCOLN SQUARE OFFICE (core)Condo unit taxpayer names: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO
4323430000LINCOLN SQUARE RETAIL (Core)Condo unit taxpayer names: KEMPER DEVELOPMENT CO

The owner markets the portfolio as 5.5 million sq ft, with more than 200 retail brands and over 80 restaurants and quick-service cafés. Underneath, the county records 34 parcel records with 49.6 acres of listed lot area, including overlap, assessed at $1.39B for 2026, recorded under several owner and taxpayer names. The Collection is operated as one portfolio by Kemper Development Company; a parcel is not the same thing as a building or a share of the family business.

Office advertisements read on 18 October 2026

The office portfolio spans Bellevue Place, Lincoln Square North and Lincoln Square South. Kemper markets the connections to dining, hotels, meeting spaces and covered skybridges as part of the workplace. Leasing a suite is a different transaction from buying the whole Collection: the suite's size, move-in date, condition and operating costs matter to an incoming business.

Kemper directs office leasing to Broderick Group. Its listings provide floor plans, broker contacts and, for Lincoln Square South, a virtual tour. Read on 18 October 2026, the advertisements showed:

The dated suite examples are in the companion guide's source notes.

These are advertised terms, not confirmed vacancies or signed rents. North's linked brochure differs from its web page: 22,389 sq ft for suite 2100 and a $65 base rate. Its advertised availability is in 2027. South's page is undated. NNN quotes add operating charges to base rent; a dated broker quote is needed for the applicable period, expenses and availability. Broderick also advertises Bellevue Place.

The North brochure labels the marketed floors as former Microsoft space. That provides a link to the tower's tenant history, but these few advertised floors do not account for all the space Microsoft previously leased. The public listings cannot establish a current vacancy rate for the whole Collection.

Retail leasing and shared-space questions

Kemper's retail leasing page offers a digital brochure and names Jana Koeberle and Katie Perkins as contacts. It publishes neither a rent card nor a current vacant-unit schedule. A prospective shop needs a quote for a particular unit, including base rent, operating charges, fit-out requirements and lease length.

The food hall raises further questions about what each operator supplies and what the shared setting provides. Published information does not establish the vendors' rents, lease structures, seating responsibilities or programming terms.

The Collection promotes tenants through its calendar and gift-card campaigns, including a small-business feature across the four developments. Directory listings establish that a business is listed, rather than its sales, lease status or the district's vacancy rate.

Community programming: published rules and open questions

The Collection's published rules describe the common areas as private property. Organized social or promotional activity requires owner sponsorship and compliance with its rules; posting material requires prior written authorization.

The named cultural partnerships establish that outside organizations can participate. Public materials do not establish the application process, venue fees, equipment ownership, staffing terms or final budget authority. Kemper lists Jennifer Leavitt, senior vice president of marketing, for media inquiries; a proposed program needs the operator's terms and approval.

The co-owners exchanged deeds in 2024

The records document a change from shared interests to particular lots. This table summarizes the stored deed transcription; it is not a present-day ownership or sale-authority audit.

Record dateInstrument / recordInterest or change recordedLimit
13 December 199919991216001599Across 18 parcels: 25% Brice Family LLC, 25% Bellevue Way LLC and 50% Margaret E. Brice TrustInterests conveyed in that deed, not current shares of the whole Collection
February 2024Boundary line adjustmentNew lots createdNot an explanation of transaction motive
1 August 2024, 9:57 a.m.20240801000261 / 20240801000262Reciprocal statutory warranty deeds, detailed belowRecorded transfers, not evidence of a later portfolio marketing launch
InstrumentFromToConsideration
20240801000261Bellevue Square LLC, Bellevue Square Managers LPBrice Family LLC, Bellevue Way Properties LLC, MBC Family LLC$42,713,200.00
20240801000262Brice Family LLC, Bellevue Way Properties LLC, MBC Family LLCBellevue Square LLC$42,306,800.00

They differ by $406,400, 0.95% of the larger, with full excise tax paid on both. The recorded exchange concerns particular lots; in August 2026 the family announced sale exploration. The instruments document a title change. They do not establish why the expansion paused or each company's current approval rights. The recorded deed of trust is historical evidence, not a current loan balance.

August records showed site work and no land-use application.
20192020202120222023202420252026sale explorednone found in August recordsPredevelopmentSite workShoringLand use application
The permits found in the August 2026 search. Bellevue files Master Development Plan and Design Review as LP and LD; across 775 permits at 30 queried Collection addresses, the returned records contain no LP and no LD at this site. Three queries returned “too many results”: 10500 NE 8th Street, 900 Bellevue Way NE and the street-wide Bellevue Sq query. This is partial search coverage, not proof that no application existed. Kemper's predevelopment record 23 123056 DC, closed 2026-01-05, was "in preparation for Master Development Plan and Design Review applications."

Supporting data

Recorded owner / taxpayer groupParcelsAssessedAcres
Kemper Development Co15$706.6M32.0
Bellevue Place Office1$226.0M2.5
Bellevue Place Hotel LLC2$217.3M2.3
Lincoln Square Hotel LLC1$54.3M0.9
Bellevue Square LLC5$50.0M3.1
Brice Family LLC +Bellevue4$43.1M2.8
LS2 Entities (5)1$39.8M3.4
Bellevue Properties LLC3$33.3M1.2
Bellevue Properties LP1$11.2M0.4
Lincoln Square Garage LLC1$9.5M0.9
Sources (2)

Sources and limits

Property records were retrieved on 29 August 2026. Retail, family and leasing pages were read on 18 October 2026. Article, the reported Wagyu House window and the seasons on city event listings were checked on 28 October. The timeline retains its 20 October source check; a separate note records the bounded 2 November owner-news recheck. Owner marketing, broker advertisements and county records describe different things. Recorded names establish neither beneficial ownership shares nor sale authority. Broker availability requires confirmation. The family biography is undated; its board titles have not been independently confirmed. Store directories establish listings rather than sales or a vacancy census. Merchant stories here draw on their own published accounts, not interviews.

Kemper's figures are the owner's. Floor areas, room counts, homes and parking come from Kemper's own pages and Wikipedia. Office advertisements and brochures use different measures; the named suite discrepancy is documented above. The county's parcels, acreage and assessment are computed from the Assessor's 2026 records.

King County Assessor and GIS, 2026 tax year Deeds read from the Recorder by recording number permitsearch.mybuildingpermit.com, 29 Aug 2026 Sale and property research: KOMO, 425 Magazine, DJC, Downtown Bellevue Network, KIRO 7, Kemper Development; read 7 Oct 2026 Photos: Wikimedia Commons and plat.house

Updated 20 Oct 2026. Reorganised around the sale in the 20 October edition, with a dated sale-status record. Earlier, on 19 October, the profile gained dated business and leasing sources, a matched 2006/2023 aerial comparison, and hotel and residential links.

This page has been corrected. What changed

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