REI plans to move its headquarters to Bellevue from Kent in the next few years.
“REI has outgrown our headquarters in Kent and, after exploring options for a new campus for the past several months, the co-op has signed a non-binding letter of intent to develop 8 acres of land in the Spring District of Bellevue, between SR 520 and Bel-Red Road and part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway,” according to a company statement released Tuesday. “If all goes as planned, we aim to move in by 2020.”
The company’s headquarters have been in Kent since 1988 at the northwest corner of the West Valley Highway and South 228th Street. The outdoor gear and apparel company employs about 1,200 people in Kent.
“We are confident in the process, but we do not have a formal deal,” the statement said. “The non-binding letter of intent allows both parties to pull out at any time, with no penalties. By the end of the summer, we will know either that we’re moving forward or that our search continues.”
REI sees the new site in Bellevue as a better fit than Kent.
“While we feel very positive about the site, the region is growing and it is no secret that current transit infrastructure is under pressure,” the company said. “As a result, flexible work spaces, better technology and improved transit options will be crucial components of our planning process. We are encouraged that the region’s community leaders are planning to invest billions of dollars to improve local transit options, including miles of bike lanes.”
Sound Transit plans to open a new light rail station in Bellevue’s Spring District in 2023. The station would be next to the proposed REI site.
REI also likes that it will be located in the Mountains to Sound Greenway.
The Mountains to Sound Greenway stretches more than 100 miles along Interstate 90 from the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle, through Bellevue, over Snoqualmie Pass and into Central Washington. The Greenway encompasses protected and working forests, farms, historic sites, lakes, campgrounds, rivers, trails, wildlife habitat and vibrant communities.
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that helped to protect these lands and preserve them for public benefit.
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