REI Move To Bellevue 'Last Straw' For Redmond Resident

REDMOND, WA - It's no secret that people in the Pacific Northwest are extremely loyal to the outdoor retailer REI. But one Redmond resident loves the store so much, they are ready to quit living in Washington because the store moved to Bellevue.

In an anonymous letter to the editor on the Redmond Neighborhood Blog, the writer laments how much rent has increased over the past decade. If that's not bad enough, they write, they can't even go to REI in their own city anymore.

"The loss of REI to Redmond I think was really the last straw for me. I'm a big Seahawks fan and was one of the things that kept me in Washington but I can't justify living in retail hell here in Redmond while paying astronomical rent that provides nothing besides 4 walls and a roof," the letter reads.

The writer seems to be particularly upset about the selection of retailers in town. They don't understand why rents are so high if there are no high-quality retailers nearby. According to RentJungle.com, the average rent in Redmond is about $2,000 per month.

"I've been out here for 10 years, back in 2008 I was paying $1400 for a 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment with a nice size kitchen. That same apartment is now $3300 a month. With the loss of so many stores including REI from Redmond I don't understand why we must pay downtown Manhattan and San Francisco rent prices and not get the perks from living in those cities," the letter reads. "What do I get for my $3300 a month?"

In September 2015, REI announced it would move from the Redmond Town Center to the Bellevue Central Shopping Center. The new 40,000 square-foot REI in Bellevue opened in September.

Image via REI