Amazon has announced that it plans to increase the number of jobs in Bellevue, Washington by 10,000 in the next couple of years. In addition, the firm said it will give a $1 million grant to the City of Bellevue’s Human Services Fund to assist locals in need.
To make enough room for the new jobs, Amazon has secured two million square feet of office space in downtown Bellevue where it has leased 555 Tower and West Main from Vulcan. These two projects are currently under development. Aside from office space, they will provide public parks and retail space to make the area pedestrian-friendly.
Both of these sustainable properties will be in walking distance of the new Bellevue Downtown Station which is set to open in 2023 as part of Sound Transit’s East Link extension. Amazon also said it’ll begin the process of developing the second phase of its Bellevue 600 project which it hopes to have complete by 2025.
Discussing the $1 million grant which will support communities badly affected by COVID-19, Mayor Lynne Robinson, said:
“Amazon’s continued investment in Bellevue, including today’s announcement of adding 10,000 well-paying jobs as well as a $1 million grant to the Humans Services Fund, is a major win for our community and region. I want to thank the company for their generous support of critical services during this time of economic recovery. The city looks forward to expanding our partnership with Amazon and creating new opportunities for all Bellevue residents.”
Despite the pandemic badly affecting many businesses around the world, Amazon got a boost thanks to all the online shopping going on. As a result, the firm announced yesterday that it would be creating 7,000 new jobs in the U.K. and hiring an additional 20,000 people to help it meet demand over the festive period.