Members of the Bellevue City Council signed a letter last week in support of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s grant application to relocate its Bellevue training facility due to the planned East Link light rail expansion.
“We’re so happy to have the support of the Bellevue City Council. That’s huge for us,” said Ellen Walker, executive director of Pacific Northwest Ballet. “We have really, really struggled with the condemnation with the Francia Russell Center by light rail and Sound Transit.”
The ballet originally approached Deputy Mayor Kevin Wallace to sign the letter, but Wallace and Councilman John Stokes ended up introducing it to the entire council for their signatures. Both the city council and the Bellevue Arts Commission have sent letters in support of the ballet’s application for a grant from 4Culture.
As the Reporter previously reported, the ballet must relocate its Francia Russell Center in 2016 from the current Bel-Red location, which is directly in the path of the planned Sound Transit East Link alignment along 136th Place Northeast and Northeast 16th Street.
PNB recently applied for funding from 4Culture’s Building for Culture grant – a partnership between King County and 4Culture to invest $20 million in local arts cultural facilities, heritage sites and landmarks – to help with the costs of rebuilding the center.
Pacific Northwest Ballet completed constructed the Francia Russell Center in 2002 for $3 million. Due to rising construction costs, high property prices and a lack of available space, the ballet is now looking at a price tag of $10 million and potentially higher monthly expenses.
“What we can afford is what we have now. Our business model is predicated on our existing space,” said Walker.
Like many ballet companies, Pacific Northwest Ballet operates on ticket sales, donations and grants. The cost of a new building in Bellevue is prohibitive, said Walker, and the ballet is running out of time to find a solution.
That being said, they hope to keep the training center in Bellevue, if possible.
“We love that building, we love the Eastside,” said Walker. “We’re part of Dream Big with the Bellevue School District, and lots of our subscribers and ticket buyers live in Bellevue.”
PNB has been in Bellevue since 1986. The center provides training to over 600 students and has nearly as many on a waiting list, according to the city of Bellevue’s letter.
Walker will be interviewing with 4Culture for the grant at the end of October, and hopes to hear something in November. The ballet is planning on beginning relocation in 2016.
