One Main Street Condominiums sold 2 more of its 57 homes last week. The remaining 10 homes, a variety of 1-bedroom condos, range from 662 to 880 square feet and are priced at $299,900 to $439,900.

These residences feature air conditioning, German-engineered cabinetry, hardwood floors, and garage parking. The location includes a new retailer, the Italian deli Mercato Stellina, on the main level.

In January, Bellevue Towers sold 13 homes, bringing this urban condominium project to 50 percent sold. The remaining homes include studio and 1-bedroom condos priced from the $300,000s, 2-bedroom residences priced from the $600,000s, and penthouses priced from $2 million. The homes range from 807 to 6,398 square feet.

Bellevue Towers offers concierge service and gives residents access to a variety of amenities, including: a 24,000-square-foot urban garden, a private screening room, a large dining room with a terrace and kitchen, a fitness center, a spa and sun deck, and a terrace with a fireplace and barbecue grill.

Readers, what do you like about living in downtown Bellevue?

The 25,025-square-foot property, located at 201 106^th Ave. NE, houses Taco Time and a dry cleaner, although the site is zoned for a 20-story mixed-use project. The developer is with an investment fund based in northeast China, according to the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.

A Windermere Real Estate broker who is working with the developer said he plans to build apartments and retail on the downtown site, according to the article. The developer reportedly has family in the Seattle area and is working with MulvannyG2 Architecture of Bellevue.

The redevelopment permit process is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

In the last couple years there has been an abundance of frozen yogurt shops in Downtown Bellevue. Unfortunately it looks like Shnoo was not able to survive and has recently closed its shop, which is located at Washington Square next to Top Pot Doughnuts. This is the 2nd frozen yogurt shop to close in Downtown Bellevue, as 3 Berries at The Courtyard Marriott was also previously a victim to the excess amounts of frozen yogurt establishments.

Red Mango, Blissberri, and CeFiore will be met by Yogurtland when it soon opens on Bellevue Way. Will another shop fall victim in the year to come?

Schnitzer West also owns the 2 apartment towers at The Bravern, but they are not for sale as a part of this deal. The 2 office towers that Microsoft occupies were sold in 2010 and are not for sale either.

In an interview with King 5, Dan Ivanoff, the Founder of Schnitzer West, admitted that the mixed-use building has been a challenge. Ivanoff states the reason for the sale reload for new potential developments.

Also interesting to note is that Kemper Freeman was approached last week to purchase the property and declined, siting that The Bravern is 8 blocks away from Bellevue Collection and that he had wished it was only 2 blocks away. Here is the entire quote from the interview:

“It’s taken me 67 years to do this,” he says, while looking at a map of his properties. “[They] were trying to do it overnight.” Kemper says he was approached last week to buy the property, but “That’s eight blocks away. I wish that it was two blocks away, that would help both of us. But there is no synergy between the two players.”

Schnitzer West was instrumental in the vision for the entire Bravern project and brought some of the world’s most premium retailers to Downtown Bellevue, such as Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and more.

It’s unknown how long it may take to find a buyer, but it’s likely that not much will change for customers before or after the property sells.

Registration is now open for the event, which features keynote speaker Tommy Spaulding, author of “It’s Not Just Who You Know.” Spaulding will offer insight on building customer service relationships.

The dinner takes place at 5:15pm to 9pm on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue’s grand ballroom, located at 900 Bellevue Way NE.

Tickets cost $95 for Bellevue Chamber of Commerce members or $115 for non-members. Corporate tables are available. Register online or call (425) 213-1205.

Downtown Bellevue’s Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art announced this week that it will close on March 1, 2012, according to an article in The Seattle Times.

Rosalie Whyel’s collection includes more than 1,200 dolls as well as dollhouses, miniatures, teddy bears, and other toys.

The museum, located at 1116 108th Ave. NE, opened its doors in September 1992. In 1994, it won the Jumeau Award at the World Congress of Dolls for best private doll museum worldwide.

ePrize has executed more than 7,000 campaigns in 44 countries for several top brands. like Coca-Cola, Yahoo!, P&G, and AT&T. ePrize also has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Wells Fargo & Co. decided to close the office, located at 600 108th Ave. NE, when its lease came up for renewal, according to the article.

The employees at the downtown Bellevue office worked on loan modifications across the country. They will receive pay and benefits through Aug. 22, and some may be eligible for severance packages, the article stated.

A Wells Fargo spokeswoman said the employees can apply for other positions within the company, according to the article.

The new high-rise is planned to offer mixed-use retail, restaurants, and 266 residential units, including 34 affordable housing units. The 21- and 18-story towers, connected by a 3-story podium, will present a window-filled, curved exterior at the corner of 106th Ave. NE and Northeast Second Street, according to the article. The property will also include a 5-story underground parking lot.

Su Development must apply for the necessary permits before construction can begin, and the permit process can take 4 to 8 months. Construction for the first tower was scheduled to begin this year, according to the article.

Last week ifoAppleStore.com, a website that follows Apple’s retail news, reported that the Bellevue Square Apple store will move  locations and expand later this year. The Apple Store at Bellevue Square is currently located on the 1st floor within the Nordstrom wing.

The report states that the Apple Store will relocate to the 2nd floor next to Papyrus, where Talbots and Bailey Banks & Biddle retail stores were previously located. The current store is 4,600 square feet, and the speculated new space would more than double the current store’s size.

The store move (if accurate) is likely motivated by Apple’s small store in Belleveue Square that is always packed, coupled with the Microsoft Store opening their flagship location in Bellevue Square earlier this year, only a few doors down.  The report also points out that every customer leaving that Microsoft Store would see the Apple store when looking up.

The report does not state when the move will take place, but does state that it will happen this year.

Image Credit: ifoAppleStore.com