A relic of retail
Before moving to the Puget Sound region, I thought that only two enclosed retail facilities existed on the East Side of Lake Washington. There was, of course, the hulking dominant player on their end of the metro, Bellevue Square with the smaller destination known as Factoria Mall located not far to its south. However, also hidden in plain view, but that I didn’t discover until a decade or so later, were Totem Lake Mall in its waning years and the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue.
The front face of Crossroads Bellevue.
Now known as Crossroads Bellevue, the single level shopping mall can be easily missed as one passes on 156th Avenue and 8th Street. Low slung and cosplaying as a power center hiding in a neighborhood that is largely residential, the over half century old complex houses a healthy retail selection and serves as a vibrant focal point for its diverse surrounding community.
1 to 3- Shops behind the main building. 4 to 6- The rear of Crossroads Bellevue.
Having been modernized to be nearly indistinguishable from its smaller, community sized retail peers, what makes Crossroads Bellevue distinct is its collection of local names finding success next to national brands, existing harmoniously within one of the Seattle suburb’s most densely populated neighborhoods.
Crossroads Bellevue Mallmanac ca. 2015. View the full PDF version here.
The unremarkable monolith offers everything from big boxes such as Michael’s and Barnes & Noble to mall stalwarts like Gamestop and Daiso and even a full service QFC supermarket. But what makes Crossroads truly unique, in my opinion, are the variety of flavors found in one of the most distinct food courts that I have visited.
1 & 2- Daiso and Joann’s Fabrics with storefronts on the rear façade. 3- The now closed entrance to the former Bed Bath & Beyond next to another mall entrance and the sign for Party City (R.I.P.) 4- The mall’s eastern edifice. 5 & 6- The eastern mall entrance.
Referred to as the International Public Market, the food court houses a full array of cuisines. From well-known Mediterranean, Indian, Korean and Vietnamese fare to the less conventional Colombian and Russian menus, the sizeable food court seems to be the definite focal point Crossroads Bellevue’s offerings. In addition, with its darkened décor, it lends a cozier atmosphere to what is overall a vibrantly bright interior throughout the rest of the facility.
1 & 2- Entering using the east mall entrance. 3 to 5- The eastern end of the interior. 6- Santa! 7- Old Navy. – A look east down the main concourse.
Crossroads Bellevue also prides itself in its entertainment offerings, with everything from live music jam sessions to community round tables and even health fairs being regular occurrences. A satellite location for the Bellevue City Hall, a community room and a branch of the King County Library System also share space with their surrounding retailers, bringing in other patrons that might not stop by otherwise.
Originally known as the Crossroads Shopping Center, the facility opened its doors in 1962 as a half million square foot open air collection of shops. Never having been home to any traditional department store branches, the original anchor was an Ernst Home Center. Also hosting an ice skating rink and movie theater, Crossroads found much success in its earlier years.
Center Court and the central concourse.
Just a little over two decades later, however, Crossroads was languishing. It had descended to the point of one of its main graffiti ridden concourses being dubbed “Death Valley,” though due more to its excessive vacancies rather than any violent occurrences. Crime had become an increasing issue and it seemed the outdated complex was bound for redundancy.
The Public Market international food court.
Starting in 1988, Ron Sher took over the aging artifact and immediately began its revival. The common areas were enclosed while the sizeable food court was added. It wasn’t long before the once ailing shopping mall was not only attracting new shoppers, but also members of its increasingly diverse surrounding neighborhoods.
Crossroads Bellevue pamphlet ca. 2024. View the full PDF version here.
The ensuing years brought national brands Bed Bath & Beyond, Party City and Pier 1 Imports while Sher offered significant space to government and community service entities. A local farmer’s market was even established in the complex’s flanking parking area.
The far western end of Crossroads Bellevue’s concourse.
Today Crossroads Bellevue continues to be a hub for its community. But it exists as far more than just a shopping mall and is, arguably, more successful now than at any point during its more than sixty years of existence.
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