After shunning New York, Amazon is returning to its hometown with plans to build its tallest office tower yet.
The e-commerce giant announced plans to build a 43-story office complex in Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle, according to CNBC. The 1-million-square-foot building still needs city approval, but could be completed by 2024.
Amazon is planning to build the tower in the Bellevue Corporate Plaza, which the company bought this spring for $195 million, CNBC reported. The company also is working with the city of Bellevue to connect the campus to the area’s light rail system and develop public spaces in the area.
Amazon is doubling down in Bellevue after objections to tax policies in Seattle, CNBC reported. Early this year, Amazon pulled out of a plan to lease 30 floors in a new Seattle office tower, even after the company successfully fought back a city corporation tax that would have funded affordable housing initiatives.
The move to develop a tower in Bellevue also comes after Amazon backed out of plans to build a corporate campus in Long Island City in New York after local politicians pushed back on financial incentives for the development.
Amazon is still planning to build a corporate campus in Crystal City, Virginia. [CNBC]— Joe Ward