Brooks Sports in August will open its “new global headquarters” near downtown Seattle, and the venue “
will include the opening of the brand’s first retail location, which occupies a prominent spot on the building’s first floor,” according to Sarah Max of the N.Y. TIMES. The 4,600-square-foot concept store is “geared more toward connecting runners -- via events, lectures and clinics -- than selling merchandise” The new 120,000-square-foot, “ultra-energy-efficient” HQ that overlooks Lake Union “puts Brooks exactly where it wants to be.” Brooks CEO Jim Weber said, “You can access some of the best running trails in the city from right here.” Max notes Brooks now is the “top-selling brand in independent running stores,” recently reaching $500M in annual revenue. Weber “toured nearly 50 office sites in Seattle and surrounding cities, looking for just the right space to accommodate his growing team.” To “build something large enough to accommodate Brooks for at least a decade,” project developer Skanska USA “needed the city’s blessing to build 20 feet higher than permitted by zoning.” The city “ultimately agreed, with the condition that the building meet rigorous environmental standards,” which included “capturing and reusing at least 50 percent of storm water on the site and using 75 percent less energy than a typical commercial building in the city.” The strict standards have put the HQ “on track to receive LEED Platinum status” from the U.S. Green Building Council. Brooks employees also needed to move to a “temporary headquarters for 15 months during construction.” Weber: “No company wants to do a double move, but we had no other option” (
N.Y. TIMES, 7/30).
