As Amazon Stretches, Seattle’s Downtown Is Reshaped

When Amazon executives showed up last year for the first meetings about their proposal to build a new headquarters — three towers that would draw thousands of workers downtown — Seattle city officials were taken aback.

In casting its lot in the center of a congested, bustling city, Amazon has rejected the old model of the suburban company campus that is typical of Silicon Valley and the technology ring road around Boston. By encouraging its employees to live within walking distance, it could help Seattle meet its goals for energy efficiency and conservation, city officials said. As part of its development agreement, Amazon also plans to buy a new streetcar for the light rail line that runs past its properties and pay for a stretch of dedicated bicycle lane. John Schoettler, Amazon’s real estate director, said environmental considerations were an important factor in the company’s decision to remain in Seattle, along with the type of employee that an urban location attracts. “The energy and excitement from employees being in an urban environment — I hear it daily,” said Schoettler, who walks to work. “A lot of people don’t even have a car. They want that urban experience right there.”