Construction is underway on the Bear Creek mixed-use project along Bear Creek Parkway, a project that will create more housing and retail space in downtown Redmond.

The project is comprised of two buildings located at 15806 Bear Creek Parkway just south of Redmond’s “KFC Corner.” Once finished it will hold 360 apartments, 1,622 square feet of retail space and five stories of building above two levels of underground parking with 363 parking spaces and bicycle storage. The project was approved in May 2016 and did not require the city council to approve it.

The project is adjacent to the Sound Transit light rail racks, which will run parallel to the property, just to the north and will conceal the tracks, maintenance area and other Sound Transit facilities from view.

The project was able to reduce the amount of commercial retail space required by incorporating 5,000 square feet of live-work units in it where renters both manage their businesses out of as well as reside. The project was designed by Bellevue-based Veer Architecture.

The area along Bear Creek Parkway has grown rapidly in recent years as apartment buildings have been constructed along it. These include The Carter on the Park, built by MainStreet Property Group LLC, which consists of 180 units and several live-work spaces.

The Riverpark Apartments across the street to the south from the Bear Creek mixed-use development was built in 2009 and includes a hotel and office space.

Other major developments in the area include the recently-approved, 14-acre Seritage Development, which will create 1.05 million square feet of new development in the city’s Overlake neighborhood. Included in the development is 100,000 square feet of street-level retail space, 266,800 square feet of office space and nearly 62,000 square feet of restaurant space in addition to 500 apartments, a 210-room hotel and two acres of parks and open space.

While in Kirkland, the Rose Hill neighborhood along Northeast 85th Street has also attracted interested from developers. The proposed Rose Hill mixed-used development by Madison Development Group would create 88,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 650 apartments on nearly seven acres for a total of 1.09 million square feet of new development space. The proposed project site is located at 12040 Northeast 85th Street.

Just outside Redmond, another project in the Rose Hill neighborhood known as Continental Divide would create 133 apartments along with 7,500 square feet of commercial space on 2.6-acres of land.