Let’s talk Amazon. Per recent conversations with the City of Bellevue’s Economic Development Department, Amazon has committed to 2,668,000 square feet of commercial space in Downtown Bellevue. The key here is 3 out of the six buildings Amazon committed too, won’t be occupied by Amazon for another two to five years. Currently, the company employs roughly 2,000 people in the Centre 425 building. By 2020 they will take over the Expedia building (Tower 333), adding an additional 2,500 employees. Amazon’s most recent purchase, the Bellevue Corporate Plaza, not only shows the company’s long-term commitment to City of Bellevue but also gives them the opportunity to build 600 foot towers thanks to revised zoning regulations. We won’t speculate on a future headcount, but the City of Bellevue expects Amazon to be one of the largest employers in the city by 2022.
