Technology Jobs, Amazon Aiding Seattle Office Market
October 10, 2011
According to federal department of labor statistics, technology jobs across the United States declined 2% in 2010.
After losing jobs in 2009, the trend continued with 115,800 jobs lost in 2010.
Seattle, however, has largely avoided such losses and instead companies are growing. This growth is exemplified by
Amazon.com, Inc, the mammoth online retailer who currently occupies 1.9 million square feet of office space in
South Lake Union.
Two of the region's most prolific developers, Touchstone and Vulcan, have filed preliminary paperwork with the city
for construction of new office buildings in South Lake Union. Touchstone has proposed two 12-story towers while
Vulcan has proposed a 200,000 square foot, 6-story office building.
A third developer, San Francisco based Spear Street Capital, will soon break ground on an 114,000 square foot office
building with 20,000 square feet of street-level retail.
While none of the companies would confirm whether the Amazon was an intended tenant of any the projects, the
company's footprint in the South Lake Union neighborhood would help attract high tech companies to these projects.