Bellevue's central park - Washington State's urban design - Sunset's 90th Anniversary Special Report

Can a suburb become a city? That's the question asked by many towns that find themselves sprouting office buildings. Bellevue is betting that it can, not just in terms of population and density, but in genuine urbanity as well.

It's now the state's fourth-largest city, with an Oz-inspired skyline that's visible from downtown Seattle. The jewel in its crown is its brand-new downtown park, whose first phase opened last fall.

Eight years ago, Bellevue's existing downtown was like that of many suburban communities: without sidewalks, car-dominated, its commercial strips isolated from the street by parking lots.

Then in 1981, spurred by rising growth pressures, and hoping to avoid sprawl, the town adopted new policies that directed intensive commercial development into the underutilized downtown. It also down-zoned other parts of the city.

The new land-use code cut existing parking requirements in half and removed setback requirements. Urban planner Mark Hinshaw explains: "The new code is intended to force people out of their cars and into public transportation and car pools. Buildings can now fill their sites. At the same time, the code requires developers to provide several types of public space, including 12- to 16-foot-wide sidewalks and a major east-west pedestrian corridor."

Margot Blacker, community leader, and chairperson of the Bellevue Planning Commission, is generally positive about the results so far. "We have not avoided sprawl, but I like the downtown urbanization. It's a better use of the land."

The new park offers a graphic example of a community redefining itself in urban terms, developing a new civic consciousness. And the park's sweeping arcs of greensward, canal, and promenade also help give Bellevue a strongly focused, easily identifiable center.

It nearly didn't get built. Under the leadership of mayor Cary Bozeman, the city saw the 17-acre former public school site's potential as parkland and, by acting fast, was able to buy it from the school district before it went up for public sale. But the deal almost collapsed under pressure to sell part of it at a profit.

Then Lee Springgate, head of Bellevue's parks department, had an idea: focus attention on the property's park potential by conducting an international competition to design the park. John Ellis, resident of Bellevue and chairman of Puget Power, also located there, asked local corporations to sponsor the competition.

After public hearings and surveys, it was clear that people wanted, in Springgate's words, "a quiet park, a refuge, a pure civic space without specialized functions, but which residents might gradually begin to use for strolling, or for weddings, bazaars, and the like." Ellis recalls, "They wanted something that spoke for and about the Northwest in its gardens and trees and water and openness."

The jury selected the winner in December 1984. But then a bond issue to fund construction was narrowly defeated. Ellis, the mayor, and the Citizens' Park Committee discussed alternatives. As Ellis tells it, "Someone suggested that the private sector figure out a way to finance the project so it could build it itself." It did, by relying on in-kind donations; by forming a nonprofit corporation to lease the site, accept tax-deductible contributions, and manage construction; and by raising $1.8 million from corporations and citizens.

The pitch to corporate leaders was simple: "This is a unique opportunity for business to demonstrate dedication, to show it is willing to put back into a community as well as take from it. And in contrast to many contributions this one will produce something that will last forever."

The entire community joined the effort, staging a walk-a-thon, giving speeches, sending 25,000 mailings. Springgate sums up the achievement: "Bellevue's the center of an area that will one day be as big as Seattle. A new downtown park became very symbolic. We had to make a strong statement that open space is critical for our future."

Photo: Clean curve of canal and promenade define edge of new park near wall of high-rises