Motel-To-Apartment Projects Bring New Rental Opportunities To The Eastside

As housing demand continues to rise across the Eastside, new forms of attainable rental housing are turning heads. Slated to open this month, Bellevue Ridge is a former Bellevue Quality Inn motel turned apartment complex. The newly renovated property, acquired and developed by Kirkland-based Sage Investment Group, offers units starting at $1,600 plus $275 for utilities, parking, cable, and internet. The project already has pre-signed leases and a waitlist.  

Just up the road in Kirkland, a similar transformation is underway. The Motel 6 south of The Village at Totem Lake was recently bought by Sage for nearly $15.1 million. The 123 rooms will be converted into workforce housing, offering commuters the opportunity to trade long drives for small, centrally located studio apartments.

Sage Investment Group’s Motel 6 conversion in Kirkland,  image courtesy of Sage Investment Group

For renters who don’t qualify for traditional affordable housing but are still priced out of many local options, the finished studios will provide a more attainable option. Rents will be between $1,500 and $1,700 per month (including utilities, parking, cable, and internet). The permitting process is expected to take six to ten months, with another 12 to 14 months of renovation before the apartments are ready for tenants.   

Earlier this summer, Sage acquired a Studio 6 extended-stay property in Mountlake Terrace, which, like the Kirkland Motel 6, will continue operating as a motel until permits are finalized.  

These conversions are part of a broader strategy by Sage Investment Group, which currently manages 30 properties across the region. The goal: to serve renters who earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing but still face steep market rents.