REI announced on Thursday that it has finalized an agreement to relocate its headquarters from Kent to the Spring District in Bellevue in 2020.
REI, a specialty outdoor retailer, initially announced its plans in March to move to the 8-acre site, but the deal is now complete, according to a company media release. The vision is to create a hub that is accessible, sustainable and connected to the local outdoor community.
“We aspire to create something unexpected that embodies our co-op values,” said Eric Artz, REI’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We’re envisioning a sustainable, transit-friendly, urban neighborhood that blends working space with green space, takes inspiration from the community around it, and connects to the rest of the Puget Sound area.
“After 28 years in Kent, we have outgrown our current headquarters. So, we will build a campus as a gathering place that fosters creativity and connects thousands of increasingly mobile employees.”
The co-op employs more than 1,400 on its campus in Kent, where it has been since 1988, and several satellite offices throughout the Puget Sound area. REI has 146 stores in 35 states.
Founded in 1938 in Seattle, REI has deep roots in the Puget Sound community. In 2016, the co-op invested nearly $750,000 in outdoor places and causes in and around the Puget Sound area, including grants to Northwest Avalanche Center, Washington Trails Association and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. The co-op also opened a new store at the Bellevue Shopping Center earlier this month, relocating its Redmond location to better serve more than 126,000 active co-op members in the Bellevue area.
“We look forward to the ongoing dialogue with regional leaders on optimizing local outdoor spaces and commuting infrastructure, especially protected bike lanes,” Artz said.
The Spring District will be a walkable, green community with multi use, office and residential space, including the University of Washington’s and Microsoft’s Global Innovation Exchange and a brew pub space. REI’s partners for the new campus include Wright Runstad & Company (developer), NBBJ (architect), Lease Crutcher Lewis (builder) and Hornall Anderson (creative).
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that an organization with such strong roots in the Puget Sound community has selected the Spring District for its new headquarters,” said Greg Johnson, president of Wright Runstad & Company.
The Spring District sits between State Route 520 and Bel-Red Road.
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