Great News for SLU: Amazon is Coming

One of Seattle's great business success stories will call SLU home by 2010 and 2011. Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company that boasts "Earth's Biggest Selection" has leased up to 1.6 million square feet in up to 11 new buildings on six blocks along Terry and Boren Avenues between Mercer and John Streets.

The company's corporate headquarters will be on the new Seattle Streetcar line, which also connects riders to the bus tunnel and light rail. The move means thousands of Amazon employees can choose to leave their cars at home because of a variety of excellent mass transit options.

Vulcan and Schnitzer West are joint venture partners for the project's first phase as well as remaining buildings comprising the new headquarters that will give Amazon a new, unified headquarters.

The company is onboard with SLU's commitment to sustainable development practices that promote the social and economic health of the greater community. Amazon will be targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED is a national industry measurement tool created by the U.S. Green Building Council to define the industry's most environmentally-conscious projects. Vulcan will:

• Develop a specified area as LEED Silver or Gold certified projects
• Contribute about $6.4 million for affordable housing and other benefits
• Implement an aggressive transportation management plan to reduce traffic impacts
• Implement an energy management plan