It is official- Amazon.com is moving its headquarters to South Lake Union. The new headquarters will include up to 11 new buildings within the 6-block span along Terry and Boren Ave. between Mercer and John St. The new office space is set for completion in 2010 with full occupancy in 2011 and will total up to 1.6 million square feet!
Following South Lake Union's trend in sustainable development practices, Amazon.com's new headquarters will be targeting LEED certification as sustainable, eco-friendly facilities. For those of you who need a refresher, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a national industry measurement tool created by the U.S. Green Building Council used to define the industry's most environmentally-conscious projects.
"Amazon.com is one of those great Seattle success stories and I'm pleased the company has decided to stay right here in its hometown," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "The move also highlights the great things happening in South Lake Union, where we are seeing new jobs, homes and parks transforming this area into a dynamic and diverse neighborhood in the heart of our city. My goal is make Seattle a great place to live and work. This move does both by bringing thousands of jobs to the South Lake Union area — with room to grow — and helping to build new affordable homes in our Center City."
Click here to read the press release and my previous post on zoning challenges.