Bellevue College readying a new North Campus

will open a new North Campus facility in April, which will house the college's Continuing Education division, school officials said.

The facility at 14673 N.E. 29th Pl. in Bellevue, known as the Liberty II Building, is currently being remodeled to the college’s specifications. It had been occupied by Microsoft Corporation, and was purchased for the college by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges for $10.9 million.

Once the remodel is complete, the 43,000 square-foot facility will feature 15 computer classrooms with high-speed Internet access, 17 standard classrooms with multimedia capabilities, two large rooms for art programs, a third for fitness classes like yoga and tai chi, a student lounge, a deli and a bookstore.

“It’s going to be a great space,” said Bruce Riveland, Bellevue College’s dean of Continuing Education.

The college has been able to remodel the facility to suit its needs. The new facility is smaller than the previous North Campus location by approximately 20,000 square-feet, but it makes far more efficient use of that space, college officials said.

Instead of having a small number of classrooms and lots of extraneous office space, the new building is being remodeled with appropriate classrooms in mind. Riveland believes these new and improved classrooms will have a positive psychological effect on the college’s instructors, which in turn will benefit the students.

Moving to a smaller and more efficient facility will also lower operating costs for the college, saving money on utility and custodial expenses, college offiicals said.

There also could be an improvement in parking facilities, college officials said. While the Liberty II Building has about 20 fewer spaces than the old North Campus location, the new location also shares parking areas with a nearby office building and several hotels, which will have an overall net gain in parking.

The facility was chosen in part for its proximity to public transit lines and State Route 520, two things that were important to the working professionals who make up the bulk of the Continuing Education enrollments at the North Campus. The location is also within walking distance of a planned stop on the future light rail line.

“We saw an opportunity to acquire a facility that would really suit our needs,” said Bob Adams, Bellevue College’s director of public information.

Bellevue College’s North Campus had been at the 10700 Northup Building in Kirkland for the previous 10 years. The college moved from that location last November and has been operating its North Campus out of the Bellevue School District's former campus in the interim.