By Meghan Hall
Amazon is continuing to expand its footprint, taking yet another office tower in Bellevue. The e-commerce giant is expected to lease The Artise: a planned office project that will rise 26 stories in Bellevue’s downtown. The project, proposed by Schnitzer West and designed by NBBJ, is gearing up to break ground.
The deal was first reported by The Puget Sound Business Journal.
In all, the project is expected to include 664,855 gross square feet of office space and 8,100 square feet of retail. In addition to the designated office and retail spaces, Schnitzer West plans to include a number of public plazas and programmed open spaces, as well as 891 below-grade parking spaces, in the development. An office amenity called the “Great Room,” intends to bring both public and private spaces together. The Great Room will be two-stories in height and total more than 5,100 square feet, according to planning documents.
Schnitzer West originally acquired the 1.5-acre development site at 10635 NE 8th St.—currently a retail center—for $65 million in December of 2019. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that Sellen Construction, the general contractor for the project, will break ground during the second quarter. It is unclear whether Schnitzer West as an equity partner or construction lender for the project.
Amazon has leased a slew of buildings in downtown Bellevue in recent years as part of a major effort to expand on the Eastside. Amazon has announced it plans on bringing more than 25,000 jobs to Bellevue alone over the course of the next several years. At the end of 2020, the company had secured millions of square feet of office space through both leasing and development endeavors. In September of 2020, the company announced its lease of 555 Tower and West Main, both under development by Vulcan.
Amazon is also pursuing the second phase of its Bellevue 600 project. Also designed by NBBJ, the 27-story office tower will include green space and a number of amenities. Amazon is targeting 2025 for the project’s completion as it continues to hash out its regional growth strategy.
