BELLEVUE — Signs of change can now be seen all along Monroe Road in Bellevue as initial roadwork and infrastructure takes shape in the village.
Now, the next phase begins as businesses purchase several new lots and start construction along prime real estate on the busy road.
Bellevue community development director Andrew Vissers said that this project will not only reshape this part of the village, it will have a large impact on the local economy.
"This will be the largest single most important project in the history of Bellevue," said Vissers.
As the village's community development director, Vissers has focused on the tax incremental district in the area for years to help overcome roadblocks that have held back development.
"That allows, essentially, the village to invest funds to create infrastructure or things along those lines and then it gets repaid back with the development that comes in," said Vissers.
While it has taken years to get the projects off the ground, Vissers says the next two years will see a lot of vertical construction now that the base work is nearing completion.
He said there's site plans for a Culver's and Club Car Wash. This is in addition to projects like the micro e.r. hospital and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers which are already under construction with several more announcements likely to come this year.
Vissers said that planning will also begin this year on long term goals for a large plot of land across Monroe Road on the west side. He said this is likely to include residential plans and would be the focus of a town center.
Just down the road, Adam Funk is the owner of Diamonds and Gold jewelry store. He said he's seen the area change drastically over the last few decades.
"There was nothing here at all. The last store was Olsen gun sales, which is where Walgreens is right now. There was nothing past that. It was just all empty," said Funk.
He said he believes adding more commercial development can only help grow his business.
"People have been billing it as the new Oneida Street or you know, things like that have been thrown about and the more traffic about, the more people that are in the area, the better for me," said Funk.
