REI Selects Issaquah For Satellite Office

Press release from the City of Issaquah:

February 25, 2021

REI Co-op, a specialty outdoor retailer, recently announced it selected Issaquah – otherwise known as Trailhead City – as the location for its first satellite office.

The nation’s largest consumer co-op selected Rowley Properties’ newest development, called 2005 Poplar, for its innovative satellite office. Located along Interstate 90, the building serves as a gateway to Issaquah and the great outdoors.

The 68,876-square foot building features close access to transit, along with in-building showers, bike racks, electric vehicle charging stations and Cross Laminated Timber, a sustainable material that can replace both steel and concrete.

“Nestled within the Issaquah Alps, our community is a destination for countless outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, cyclists and paragliders,” said Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly. “We are thrilled to welcome REI – which shares our passion for sustainability, environmental protection and outdoor recreation – to our city.”

In late 2020, REI sold its new corporate campus located in Bellevue, and announced it instead was transitioning to a more dispersed work model.

“We believe the future of work is much more fluid,” says Chris Putur, REI’s executive vice president of technology and operations in a REI press release. “We’re building the future around the work that needs to get done, and creating flexible, agile and inclusive ways to deliver innovation for our customers – and we no longer believe we need a traditional office model to do so.”

Occupancy is planned for late summer or early fall. Post-pandemic, the building will accommodate up to 400 people at one time.

Learn more via REI’s announcement.

This press release was produced by the City of Issaquah. The views expressed here are the author’s own.