Bellevue Square

Bellevue Square is a major enclosed shopping center in Bellevue, Washington, United States. It opened on August 20, 1946, as Bellevue Shopping Square and developed from an early suburban department-store-centered retail project into one of the most prominent shopping destinations in the Seattle metropolitan area. The original department-store tenant was Frederick & Nelson, the Seattle-based subsidiary of Marshall Field & Co. The center shortened its name to Bellevue Square within a few years and subsequently expanded its tenant mix and physical footprint through several phases of redevelopment. The mall’s principal department-store anchors have included Nordstrom and Macy’s. JCPenney also operated at Bellevue Square for 55 years before announcing its closure in 2014. Nordstrom began at the center in 1958 as a local shoe retailer and expanded into a larger department-store format in 1966 under the Nordstrom Best name. The former Bon Marché department-store presence arrived during the 1980s, was rebranded as Bon-Macy’s in 2003, and became Macy’s in 2005. After Frederick & Nelson entered bankruptcy and closed in 1992, a proposed Saks Fifth Avenue replacement did not proceed; instead, the former anchor area was reconfigured into smaller retail spaces. Bellevue Square’s later development has been closely associated with Kemper Development Company and the Freeman family. A major 1980s expansion program added retail capacity and new department-store space, while a 1994 Bon Marché Home Store project and a substantial Nordstrom expansion further diversified the center. Following JCPenney’s departure, its approximately 200,000-square-foot area was divided into smaller stores, including UNIQLO and Zara, for the 2015 holiday season. In 2007, Bellevue Square was connected by a skybridge to Lincoln Square, another Kemper Development property. Together with Lincoln Square and other nearby properties, the two centers form The Bellevue Collection, a multi-block retail, dining, entertainment, hospitality, and commercial district in downtown Bellevue. Bellevue Square itself has more than 200 retail stores and provides customer-oriented services such as concierge assistance, valet parking, and a children’s play area. Its tenant base and services position it as an upscale, class-A shopping center rather than a conventional local strip mall. The center has drawn more than 23 million visitors annually, according to a 2014 figure reported in reference material. It was also reported to have achieved sales exceeding $1,000 per square foot in 2016. Those figures are historical and should not be treated as current performance data. Bellevue Square is notable for remaining privately held rather than being owned by a publicly traded real-estate investment trust, a relatively uncommon structure among major class-A malls. In 2020, the mall was closed for approximately two months during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 31 of that year, extensive interior damage occurred during looting connected to unrest in downtown Bellevue amid protests following the killing of George Floyd. Bellevue police and the Washington National Guard later secured the property.

Bellevue Square began operations on August 20, 1946, under the name Bellevue Shopping Square. Its opening reflected the growth of suburban retail in the Bellevue area and included the first suburban department store established by Marshall Field & Co. through its Seattle subsidiary, Frederick & Nelson. The center later adopted the shorter Bellevue Square name and gradually expanded beyond its original department-store-centered format. JCPenney opened at the center in 1955. Nordstrom, then primarily a local shoe retailer, joined in 1958 and became a larger anchor in 1966 when it expanded into apparel and operated under the Nordstrom Best name. These additions helped establish Bellevue Square as a destination serving customers beyond the immediate Bellevue neighborhood. The center underwent several expansion phases during the 1980s under the leadership of Kemper Freeman Jr., whose family and company became closely associated with the property’s development. The Bon Marché, a Seattle-based department-store chain, opened at Bellevue Square in 1984. In 1992, Frederick & Nelson entered bankruptcy and closed its store. A proposed arrangement to lease some of the vacated space to Saks Fifth Avenue collapsed, so Bellevue Square reconfigured the former anchor area into smaller mall shops rather than replacing it with another full-line department store. A separate Bon Marché Home Store was added in 1994, and Nordstrom increased the size of its location by approximately half. The Bon Marché stores were renamed Bon-Macy’s in 2003 and adopted the Macy’s name in 2005. This transition reflected the consolidation of the Bon Marché banner within Macy’s broader national department-store network. Bellevue Square continued to combine large anchors with specialty retail, dining, and customer services. A major milestone in the center’s urban integration came in 2007, when Bellevue Square was connected by a skybridge to Lincoln Square. Lincoln Square had opened in 2005 and was later expanded in 2017. The connected properties, along with other nearby developments, became part of The Bellevue Collection, a multi-block district associated with Kemper Development Company and offering retail, restaurants, entertainment, hospitality, and commercial space. In September 2014, JCPenney announced that it would leave Bellevue Square after 55 years. Rather than replacing the store with another department-store anchor, the property divided the approximately 200,000-square-foot space into smaller retail units. UNIQLO and Zara were among the retailers associated with the remodeled area, which was prepared for the 2015 holiday season. The project illustrates the broader shift from traditional department-store anchoring toward a more varied specialty-retail mix. Bellevue Square’s operating model has included more than 200 retail stores, concierge services, valet parking, and a children’s play area. Historical reference material reports more than 23 million annual visitors in 2014 and sales above $1,000 per square foot in 2016. Bellevue Square has also been identified as an unusual example of a class-A mall that is privately held rather than owned by a publicly traded real-estate investment trust. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an approximately two-month closure of the mall in 2020. On May 31, 2020, significant portions of its interior were damaged during looting in a downtown Bellevue riot. Police characterized the event as involving organized groups, while the unrest occurred in the broader context of protests following the killing of George Floyd. Bellevue police and the Washington National Guard subsequently secured the property. The incident became one of the most serious disruptions in Bellevue Square’s modern operating history.

1. 2020Mall affected by pandemic closure and civil unrest

   Bellevue Square closes for approximately two months during the COVID-19 pandemic and later sustains extensive interior damage during May 31 looting.

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2. 2015Former JCPenney space is redeveloped

   The former department-store area is divided into smaller retail units, including space for UNIQLO and Zara.

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3. 2014JCPenney announces departure

   JCPenney announces the closure of its Bellevue Square location after 55 years.

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4. 2007Skybridge connects Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square

   A skybridge links Bellevue Square with Lincoln Square, helping establish The Bellevue Collection as a connected downtown retail district.

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5. 2005Stores adopt the Macy’s name

   The former Bon Marché stores transition to the Macy’s banner.

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6. 2003Bon Marché becomes Bon-Macy’s

   The Bon Marché stores at the center are renamed Bon-Macy’s.

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7. 1994Bon Marché Home Store and Nordstrom expansion

   A separate Bon Marché Home Store opens, while Nordstrom expands its Bellevue Square location substantially.

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8. 1992Frederick & Nelson closes

   Frederick & Nelson’s bankruptcy and closure leaves an anchor vacancy that is ultimately converted into smaller mall retail space.

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9. 1984The Bon Marché opens

   The Seattle-based department-store chain The Bon Marché opens a Bellevue Square location during the mall’s major 1980s expansion period.

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10. 1966Nordstrom expands into apparel

    Nordstrom adds apparel and operates under the Nordstrom Best name, strengthening its role as a major anchor.

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11. 1958Nordstrom arrives

    Nordstrom opens as a local shoe retailer and later develops into one of Bellevue Square’s principal department-store anchors.

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12. 1955JCPenney opens at the center

    JCPenney joins Bellevue Square, beginning a 55-year presence at the property.

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13. 1946Bellevue Shopping Square opens

    The shopping center opens on August 20 as Bellevue Shopping Square, with Frederick & Nelson serving as its initial suburban department-store anchor.

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An upscale, privately held regional shopping center serving Bellevue, the Eastside, and the wider Seattle metropolitan area, with a department-store anchor base, premium retail mix, extensive customer services, and integration into a larger mixed-use urban collection.

• NordstromDepartment store1958

  Nordstrom has been part of Bellevue Square since 1958, initially as a local shoe retailer. It expanded into apparel and became a major department-store anchor in 1966 under the Nordstrom Best name. The store later underwent a substantial expansion, helping maintain Bellevue Square’s premium department-store positioning.

• Macy'sDepartment store2005

  Macy’s represents the continuation of the Bon Marché department-store presence at Bellevue Square. The local Bon Marché stores became Bon-Macy’s in 2003 and adopted the Macy’s banner in 2005, providing broad apparel, beauty, home, and general merchandise within the center.

• Specialty retail tenant collectionShopping-center retail1946

  Bellevue Square’s specialty-retail offer spans fashion, accessories, beauty, home goods, dining, and lifestyle services. The center has more than 200 retail stores and has increasingly used smaller specialty units alongside its department-store anchors, particularly after the departure of JCPenney.

• Customer servicesShopping-center services

  The center supplements retail stores with concierge assistance, valet parking, and a children’s play area. These services support Bellevue Square’s positioning as an upscale destination mall serving regional visitors as well as local shoppers.

• 2015Replace the JCPenney format with smaller specialty storesStrategy

  JCPenney announced in 2014 that it would close its Bellevue Square store after 55 years, creating an approximately 200,000-square-foot vacancy.

  What changed. The former anchor area was divided into smaller retail spaces, with UNIQLO and Zara among the incoming tenants.

  Aftermath. The redevelopment was prepared for the 2015 holiday season and shifted the space toward a more varied specialty-retail mix.

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• 2007Connect Bellevue Square with Lincoln SquareStrategy

  Lincoln Square, another Kemper Development property, opened in 2005 near Bellevue Square.

  What changed. A skybridge was built to connect the two properties and support a unified downtown retail destination.

  Aftermath. The connected properties became core components of The Bellevue Collection.

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• 2003Transition Bon Marché stores to Bon-Macy’sStrategy

  The Bon Marché department-store banner was being integrated into Macy’s broader national brand structure.

  What changed. Bellevue Square’s Bon Marché stores adopted the Bon-Macy’s name.

  Aftermath. The locations later transitioned fully to the Macy’s name in 2005.

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• 1992Reconfigure the former Frederick & Nelson anchor spaceStrategy

  Frederick & Nelson entered bankruptcy and closed its Bellevue Square store. A proposed lease arrangement involving Saks Fifth Avenue did not proceed, leaving the center with a large vacant anchor area.

  What changed. Bellevue Square converted the former department-store space into smaller mall shops rather than replacing it with another full-line department-store anchor.

  Aftermath. The decision increased the center’s specialty-retail capacity and diversified its tenant configuration.

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• 2020Bellevue Square damaged during downtown Bellevue looting

  After being closed for roughly two months during the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the mall interior was damaged by looters on May 31 amid unrest associated with protests following the killing of George Floyd. Bellevue police and the Washington National Guard later secured the property.

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• 2015Former JCPenney space converted into smaller retail stores

  The approximately 200,000-square-foot former JCPenney area was reconfigured for smaller retail tenants, including UNIQLO and Zara, ahead of the holiday season.

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• 2014JCPenney announces closure of its Bellevue Square store

  JCPenney announced that it would close its Bellevue Square location after 55 years of operation at the mall.

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1. Bellevue Square
2. The Bellevue Collection official website