SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Expedia releases photos of future home in Seattle
Mar 10, 2016, 8:29 AM | Updated: May 13, 2016, 10:04 pm
Expedia released a look at its new headquarters planned for Seattle's Interbay neighborhood. (Courtesy Bohlin Cywinski Jackson)
(Courtesy Bohlin Cywinski Jackson)
Expedia released a look at its new headquarters planned for Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood.
The Bellevue company will move to Seattle in 2019.
More than 3,000 employees will relocate to Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood.
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“Even though these are early designs, we are very excited about the direction our campus is heading. The move is still a few years out but we are looking forward to joining the Seattle community,” said Mark Nagle, vice president of global real estate for Expedia.
The buildings are designed by Seattle architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.
A four-story, 600,000 square-foot building will be added to the existing buildings on the campus. There will be 2,670 parking places (1,440 are new, the rest already exist on the campus).
Construction is set to begin in late 2016.
Future phases are planned over the next 15 years. Phase 2 includes the option to build an additional 415,000 square-foot building and 630 parking spaces, and Phase 3 allows for an additional 315,000 square-foot building.
According to Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections, the draft of Expedia’s environmental impact study is due in a few weeks and will include information on traffic impact.
Drivers who use 15th Avenue West and Elliott Avenue West are concerned about the additional traffic.
“I can’t imagine it getting any worse than it really already is,” said Jennifer Hyde. Hyde’s a longtime Queen Anne resident and has seen the changes to Interbay. “It’s dangerous, too, because it seems like you barely have time to get in and out of a business before you get rear-ended.”
SDOT tracks the traffic. In 2014 on an average weekday, about 49,000 cars drove on Elliott Avenue West; in 2012 it was closer to 43,000.
Wednesday, Expedia said it will work to make sure 49 percent or less of Expedia workers are on the road in single occupancy cars during peak travel times – instead pushing for carpools, shuttles and public transportation.
