Expedia recently made the move to Interbay in Seattle and the first group of employees had their first day at the new headquarters on Monday, October 7th.
Overlooking the Seattle skyline, Elliot Bay, and the Olympic Mountains, the campus is spread across 40 acres, 1.6 of which will be open to the public. Expedia began its operations in Bellevue in 2008 and will begin to phase out over the course of the year. The travel booking giant originally bought the Interbay site in 2015 and has plans to add more buildings on its new Seattle campus. The goal is to house more than 8,000 workers over the next decade.
The campus features a “biophilic design,” a design concept that is meant to connect people and nature while encouraging well-being. As the company grows, physically and operationally, commuters are concerned that congestion is going to get worse within Seattle. Expedia has offered several public transportation incentives to alleviate this like free ORCA cards, subsidizing carpools, and offering shuttle buses from the Eastside. They encourage their employees to ditch the solo commute and use public transportation or carpooling.
The effect this transition will have on the real estate market is still at large, but with the company expanding in employee size, there is bound to be movement from the Eastside to the Seattle area.
