SEATTLE — Web retailer Amazon.com Inc. plans to move its headquarters in 2010 to the city’s South Lake Union neighborhood being developed by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen.
Amazon’s campus will include up to 11 new buildings, or up to 1.6 million square feet, on six blocks along Terry and Boren Avenues between Mercer and John streets. The buildings are part of a massive neighborhood development project just north of the downtown area run by billionaire Allen’s Vulcan Real Estate.
Parts of the Vulcan plan were unveiled in October, but rumors that Amazon was the unnamed future tenant went unconfirmed until Friday.
Amazon said it plans to seek green building certification for the new construction.
In exchange for the City Council’s approval to break height regulations for three of the buildings earlier this month, Vulcan said it will contribute about $6.4 million for affordable housing and take measures to reduce traffic, among other conditions.
The development plan also includes about 100,000 square feet of street-level space for restaurants and shops.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Amazon said it will pay up to $1.5 billion over 16 years to occupy the full 1.6 million square feet. Amazon also has options for additional space.
Schnitzer West, a Seattle area developer, is working with Vulcan on the first phase of Amazon’s headquarters project.
Amazon’s headquarters currently is in a 16-story former hospital on Seattle’s Beacon Hill. The company also leases other office space in Seattle.
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