Amazon Relocating Some Seattle Employees Due To Area Violence

SEATTLE, WA — Amazon announced Friday that it is helping its office staff relocate from a downtown Seattle building after a surge in violent crime in the area, a company spokesman said.

The office is located at 300 Pine Street in the old Macy's building and normally has about 1,800 Amazon employees, the company confirmed to KOMO. However, many still are working remotely due to the pandemic.

KIRO reported that employees still have the option to work in the 300 Pine Street building, but the company will relocate anybody who requests a move.

"Given recent incidents near 3rd and Pine, we're providing employees currently at that location with alternative office space elsewhere," an Amazon spokesman told KOMO in a statement. "We are hopeful that conditions will improve and that we will be able to bring employees back to this location when it is safe to do so."

There have been multiple violent incidents near the office in recent weeks. On Feb. 27, a man was shot to death in 300 block of Pine Street. On March 2, a 15-year-old was shot in the stomach at 3rd Avenue and Pike Street, and he later died at Harborview Medical Center.

Since then, Seattle police have deployed a "mobile precinct" to 3rd and Pine and Seattle Mayor Bruce Mayor Harrell said a minimum of six officers would be staffed in the area across shifts.

On Saturday, Harrell's office reiterated the city's commitment to safety in a statement to KOMO after the news broke that Amazon's employees were relocating.

"Mayor Harrell is working every day to make downtown a safe and thriving neighborhood for residents, workers, and businesses," the city's statement said. "While it will take time to reverse longstanding safety issues, Mayor Harrell's early efforts are critical first steps to address crime and improve safety through dedicated SPD officers, a mobile SPD precinct, and additional environmental changes.

"Mayor Harrell will continue to develop a comprehensive approach to public safety in collaboration with police and safety advocates, community members, service providers, and businesses, including Amazon, to activate, revitalize, and restore downtown for all."

Amazon is not the first local business in the area to make decisions based on the recent violence.

On March 27, the owners of the popular bakery Piroshky Piroshky, located at 1501 4th Ave. suite 110, announced they would be temporarily closing that location due to safety concerns for the establishment's employees.

A spokesman for the bakery told Patch on Tuesday that the 4th Avenue location remains closed and that the owners will reevaluate their decision 30 days after the establishment was shuttered.

The decision to close the bakery was made just hours after the man was shot and killed in the 300 block of Pine Street. The bakery also posted videos on Twitter of people using drugs right outside of its windows.

"Due to another shooting, countless safety concerns for our employees we have no choice but to close 3rd location until further notice," the owners of Piroshky Piroshky wrote on Twitter.

The bakery does have a second location at Pike Place Market, and it remains open.