SEATTLE-Those who follow @GlobeStcom on Twitter and @GlobeStLIVE may have seen a post teasing the announcement, but GlobeSt.com has learned that RealNetworks Inc. is moving its Seattle headquarters to new office space in Home Plate Center later this year. RealNetworks signed an 11-year lease agreement to initially occupy more than 85,000 square feet--with options for future growth.
According to a prepared statement, RealNetworks has a global footprint extending from Seattle to Seoul, Tokyo, and Beijing in Asia to Victoria, BC, in Canada, to New York and Washington, D.C., on the East Coast, and to London, Eindhoven and Salzburg in Europe, creating a much more geographically dispersed workforce than in 1999 when Real last moved its HQ. “The new headquarters feature the accommodations necessary to support a global company, including advanced technological infrastructure, environmentally efficient design, and interior and exterior spaces that foster collaboration and engagement,” the release says.
RealNetworks will be the anchor tenant in Home Plate Center, which is across from Safeco Field on First Avenue South in Seattle's SODO neighborhood. The company will initially occupy the fourth through sixth floors, with options for future growth.
SkB Architects will create a customized build-out that “embraces the natural elements of the Pacific Northwest.” Once completed, according to a statement, “the new office will reinforce energy efficiency, promote communication and collaboration across the company with unique features such as open meeting areas, a three-level staircase to improve flow throughout the company, and a lunchroom located on the top floor adjacent to the outdoor deck.”
Rob Glaser, founder, and interim CEO of RealNetworks. “This move reinforces our long-term commitment to the Seattle community and fits our strategic initiatives, our financial objectives, and our global footprint. Moreover, when we launched RealNetworks in 1995, we were based in Seattle's Pioneer Square, just up the street from HPC, so in a very real way we're going back to our roots.”
When the $75-million Home Plate Center completed phase one last year, Greg Steinhauer, COO of American Life Inc., told GlobeSt.com that he wasn't worried about lease out. He told GlobeSt.com at the time that Seattle's office market was starting to fire on all cylinders again. “Big CBD moves by Amazon and Nordstrom have fueled short-term confidence and office absorption is ramping up,” he said. Overall, Seattle's CBD has bounced back stronger than most national office markets, thanks to continued job growth and our city's diversified corporate base, he added. “The Stadium District is a dynamic location and we're confident Home Plate Center's class A space has all the right qualities at the right time for Seattle.”
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
