Amazon.com’s Massive HQ Project Advances

By Natalie Dolce

Print Email Share Reprints News Tip? Get Alerts

Phase II

Credit: LMN Architects

SEATTLE-The second phase of Amazon.com’s corporate headquarters in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood has been completed and the office building is now fully occupied. Developed by Vulcan Real Estate, the development arm of Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., the second phase of Amazon.com’s headquarters features a newly-constructed building totaling 158,000 square feet of office and 14,000 square feet of street-level retail space. 

The five-story building is located on the east side of Boren Avenue North between Mercer and Republican streets. The building design incorporates open space and pedestrian-oriented amenities. “We look forward to welcoming even more Amazon.com employees to South Lake Union who contribute to the area’s growing success,” says Ada Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan Inc. “South Lake Union continues to be a magnet for new jobs, amenities and residents that helps keep our region economically competitive and vibrant.”

As an environmentally-friendly development, the new building is targeting LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council as well as a projected Energy Star rating of 98, which would place it in the top 2% in energy efficiency nationally among Energy Star-reporting office buildings. All of the buildings in the remaining phases of Amazon.com’s headquarters will also target LEED Gold certification. 

The project team for phases two and three of the headquarters includes LMN Architects and Sellen Construction. According to a prepared statement, “the design of the entire headquarters is intended to activate the streetscape with lively retail, enhance the pedestrian experience, improve access to public transit connections and incorporate inviting open spaces for the public’s use.”

The Amazon.com headquarters includes a total of five phases of development, of which phases three and four are currently under construction and the final phase is expected to break ground next spring. Opened in April 2010, the first phase includes three new office buildings and the adaptive re-use of the Van Vorst Building. Amazon.com employees will begin moving-in to 2201 Westlake in late July, occupying approximately 180,000 square feet.

Amazon.com’s South Lake Union headquarters will include 11 buildings totaling approximately 1.9 million square feet of office space. Additionally, the historic Terry Avenue Building—which is being renovated in conjunction with Amazon.com’s phase four development—will be home to new Tom Douglas restaurants which are scheduled to open by mid-2011. All of the buildings are located on the Seattle Streetcar line, which connects riders to the bus tunnel and light rail. 

Vulcan is also working to attract new shops, restaurants and lifestyle services that enhance South Lake Union’s lively retail district. The new Amazon.com headquarters incorporates nearly 100,000 square feet of street-level retail amenities, including the historic Terry Avenue Building. Now being implemented as part of the new headquarters, improvements to Terry Avenue include widened 31-foot sidewalks, benches, enhanced landscaping and trees, and bike racks. The pedestrian-friendly elements will contribute to a lively retail corridor that serves a mix of uses for pedestrians, bicyclists, cars and transit.

According to a prepared statement from Amazon.com in December 2007, when it first revealed plans to move to the South Lake Union neighborhood, Tim Halladay, vice president of real estate and finance operations at Amazon.com, said that the move would enable the company to serve its customers better “by enhancing employee collaboration and productivity.”

An important factor in the company’s decision to move to the area was “proximity to public transportation.”

A Vulcan source tells GlobeSt.com that the project is expected to be fully complete by 2013. The source also points out that construction on the headquarters began in winter 2008 and construction on the Phase II building began in fall 2008. The source says they cannot disclose construction costs or rental rates at this time. However, in a federal filing in December 2007, Amazon said that it will pay as much as $1.5 billion over 16 years to occupy the full 1.9 million square feet, and that is also has options for additional space, as GlobeSt.com previously reported.

Categories: West, Office, Development, Seattle