BELLEVUE, Wash. — If you thought the pandemic had killed the appetite for office space, you need to see what’s happening in Bellevue.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Ali Biria as he looked over the city’s newest office tower construction site. “I’m amazed. I’ve never seen so much development. I’ve been here since 1982. What is worrying me more than anything is the traffic.”
All the construction means more tech jobs are coming to Bellevue.
“It’s one of the strongest office markets in the country,” said Murphy McCullough of Skanska USA.
His company is building a 25-story tower on spec without tenants signed in advance.
Skanska is spending $476 million on “The Eight” and describes it as the largest single investment it has made anywhere in the world.
“There’s 10 buildings under construction in Bellevue now; all 100% leased,” McCullough said.
Amazon is the reason for the developer’s confidence.
In a few years, Amazon plans to have 25,000 employees in Bellevue, and that attracts smaller tech companies.
“Amazon is, it’s almost like the big log in the back of the fire that really keeps it going,” McCullough said.