One in Three Businesses Say East Link Construction Will Impact Business

I.  Impact on business from visitors who travel by car or walk in

Nearly one in three businesses surveyed (31.7%) in the Central Business District say East Link construction will have a high impact on their business, primarily in visitors by car.

All businesses surveyed indicate customer traffic will decline on average 6% annually during each year of construction of the East Link. In the CBD, for example, large businesses ($5M plus) report receiving an average of 55,570 visitors per year; a 6% decline would mean 3,334 fewer people walking through their doors.

II. Impact on revenues by business location

Bellevue business locations in the survey

More than 30% of all businesses surveyed anticipate a decrease in revenue as a result of construction.

Small and large businesses anticipated the largest decline in revenues — 7.4% and 7.1%, respectively. By contrast, one in 10 of all businesses surveyed anticipate an increase of up to 25% during construction, possibly due to detours or shifts in consumer purchasing patterns.

Bellevue residents reported that they shop 4.7 times on average per month in the CBD and dine out 4.53 times on average per month. More than one in five (22.8%) Bellevue residents surveyed reported they would spend less money during construction in the Central Business District when they shop, dine, enjoy entertainment or use professional services. Approximately one in four residents (24.5%) indicated a high likelihood to go outside of the Central Business District for these activities during construction.