Family History

A Brief Chronological History of the

Vander Hoek Family

in and around Bellevue, Washington

In the early 1940s, Arie and Anna Vander Hoek, parents of Paul, Rutger (Bud), and Earl, homesteaded where Factoria Square Mall is now located. They built a small two-level farmhouse on 10 acres, while Arie worked at Belknap Glass Company as a glazier. Soon after moving to Factoria, Arie and Bud began and operated a glass business out of the farmhouse. Within a year, Paul & Reda moved down from Rockport and became involved with the business as well.

By 1946, Paul & Reda had bought out Arie and Bud, and moved the glass business to 10245 Main Street in downtown Bellevue, amongst the farms and orchards. The business prospered with the growth of the Eastside, due in large part to the Lacey Murrow floating bridge opening across Lake Washington. Once they established the glass business, additional "product" lines were added and eventually included paint, auto glass, and wall & floor coverings. At one point, Earl, Paul and Reda purchased property on Main Street. Subsequently, Earl sold his interest to Paul and Reda. Over the next 50 years, additional property was added in the Main Street neighborhood.

In the 1960s, Eastside Glass & Paint had locations in Renton & Kirkland, and for a short time in Othello, Washington. In the 1970s, Eastside Glass & Paint operated a Pratt & Lambert paint store, and a Souders Paint & Varnish on Stoneway Avenue in North Seattle. In 1973, a warehouse was built just south of Main Street for the commercial glass division of the company. Over the years, Ted (Paul T. Vander Hoek, Jr.), Lance, and Stuart began working in the family company. While they all worked in the retail store, Ted eventually managed the residential window area, Lanny managed the commercial glass department, and Stu managed the retail store.

In 1977, Paul & Reda built The Main Place, a retail and office landmark building, across Main Street from Eastside Glass & Paint in Old Bellevue. The unique design featured a center atrium with a large glass skylight.

In 1980, Paul and Reda retired. About the same time, the commercial glazing department moved out of Bellevue to Kirkland. Then Ted, Lanny and Stu started a new business, Weathervane Window Company, which Ted managed. In 1986, the family closed the Eastside Glass & Paint retail store on Main Street. At that point, the buildings were remodeled and leased to a restaurant, bathroom fixture shop, kitchen cabinet shop, and an Asian antique furniture store. The old Eastside Glass & Paint warehouse, south of Main Street, had already been leased out to an aerobics dance studio and other small retail tenants.

In 1988, the brothers formed Vander Hoek Corporation to manage the family's real estate holdings and to develop new buildings. The first development of this newly formed company was a warehouse and manufacturing building on property in the Parmac Industrial Park in Kirkland, near Totem Lake. That building was sold in 1990. As part of the sale, the family purchased another piece of property down the street, within the Parmac Industrial Park, now known as Parmac 100. With that purchase, Eastside Glass moved into the building.

With the building came a vacant piece of land, which was developed by the Vander Hoeks in 1997 with a 25,000 square foot warehouse/manufacturing building, now known as Parmac 200. Two additional properties were acquired in the 1980s, of which Weathervane Window Company occupied one building, now know as Parmac 300. Then, next door, another building was purchased, which Weathervane occupied for a few years, known as Parmac 400.

In 1999, the Courtyard Off Main building was developed just south of Main Street in Old Bellevue. Designed by Singleton & Associates and built by JR Abbott Construction Company, the building includes 110 apartment homes and street level commercial/retail space, with three levels of parking.

On December 18, 2001, The Main Place building was devastated by a three-alarm fire. The building was a total loss and the property remained vacant until 2004.

In 2003, Weathervane Window Company was sold and Ted formed Vander Hoek Windows & Doors, a new residential window distributing firm, now operating out of Woodinville, Washington.

In August 2004, Vander Hoek Corporation broke ground on the redevelopment of the former Main Place site at 10245 Main Street in Old Bellevue. This new mixed-use development is scheduled for completion in August 2005 with 30 apartment homes above a level of retail spaces and a parking garage.