Amazon plans to create 15,000 jobs in Bellevue, expanding the company’s presence in the Puget Sound region.
Amazon opened its first office building in Bellevue in 2017. It’s a growing, business-friendly city with great amenities, a high quality of life, and a fantastic talent pool. It now has more than 2,000 Amazonians working in Bellevue—and the company continues to hire
Similar to Seattle, the City of Bellevue has a vision of a well-connected, walkable, and diverse 18-hour downtown core. This vision mirrors Amazon’s commitment to its employees to provide a workplace that promotes well-being, accessibility, and innovation.
After more than a year of partnership with Bellevue’s urbanists, city planners, and real estate professionals, Amazon is on track to create more than 15,000 new jobs in Bellevue over the next few years.
“We welcome the news that Amazon is increasing its investment in Bellevue. These are 15,000 well-paid jobs coming to our city that will benefit local workers and the region. With the downtown area’s successful growth over the last several years, we’ve created a dynamic and thriving neighborhood, and one that’s attractive to businesses, workers, and residents. Accelerated growth does come with impacts and we hope to mitigate those by proactively working together as a community to address our residents’ needs. We appreciate Amazon’s eagerness to be a partner during this process and to take the role as an engaged Bellevue stakeholder,” said Lynne Robinson, mayor of Bellevue.
“We’re thrilled Amazon will continue to grow here,” said Patrick Bannon, president of the Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA). “It’s an extraordinary investment in our future and a strong vote of confidence in our talent base, city leadership, and decades of visionary planning for growth. We look forward to working with Amazon, alongside all BDA members and our community, as we welcome people in these new jobs and shape our downtown experience.”
“The most powerful thing we can do to reduce auto dependency and sprawl, achieve our climate goals, and get people access to the places they work and live is to build transit oriented development. Amazon understands this and has invested for years in an urban, dense, public transportation-served campus. These jobs will be well-served by existing and future transit options, catalyzing Bellevue as a growing regional job center. These benefits reflect years of transit and land use planning coming together to serve people and our economy,” said Alex Hudson, executive director of Transportation Choices Coalition.
“Hopelink’s longstanding and growing partnership with Amazon is beneficial to those we serve every day and to the community we share—we welcome you to the Eastside,” said Vice President of Advancement and External Relations at Hopelink, Jeni Craswell. “As Hopelink continues to serve clients experiencing poverty and as we take steps to address its systemic causes, we see opportunities to partner with Amazon to build on our efforts. We look forward to working together to address the growing challenge of affordable housing, and build a community where everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Amazon has designed its Bellevue offices with the following goals in mind: easy access to public transportation, fostering a sustainable lifestyle, and placemaking.
In Seattle, more than 50% of its employees either walk, bike, or take public transit to work—and over 70% of them use a mode of transportation other than a single occupant vehicle for their commute. In Bellevue, Amazon wants to build on its green mobility record. Its buildings will be no further than 0.5 miles from the new Sound Transit Link Light Rail station in downtown Bellevue and within 10 minutes walking distance of each other—all of its employees will receive free ORCA passes and be eligible for company-subsidized ride share carpool options.
On top of the inherent benefits for the environment of developing an urban campus around public transportation, Amazon is also planning for its buildings to be sustainable and have a minimal carbon footprint, seeking LEED Gold certification or better for its own developments like the Bellevue 600 office tower.
Amazon is also hopeful its Bellevue sites will help accelerate the implementation of Bellevue’s Grand Connection, a pedestrian-friendly artery through the central business district connecting Meydenbauer Bay Park to the Wilburton area. To help create this link, Amazon plans to build a significant common space along NE 6th Street to create a pedestrian connection and a new green area for residents, commuters, and downtown workers. The ground level will promote neighborhood connectivity with thousands of square feet reserved local retail and other uses, including a daycare center to support Bellevue families. The development also includes a new meeting center to host company and community events.
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