There was word of it at PAX ’09… But is it only a legend? A trick of the eye? Nope! It seems that Bungie is, in fact moving! For those not in the know, Bungie is moving out of dear old Kirkland, WA and into Bellevue!
But why are they moving? On a scale of 1 to 7 how sexy is the new facility. Will there be more room for snacks? What about a safer place to keep Ling-Ling’s head?
Well, let’s start at the beginning here…
Admit it, the Kirkland facility is sexy. That huge arch that serves as the roof calls you every time you see it. But Bungie is growing! The code monkeys, engineering geniuses, artist extraordinaires, and positively brilliant producers need some breathing room to work well. It’s time for a change in scenery.
I’ve gotta admit, having the pancake house, Starbucks, bakery, and QFC right next door rocks. But it’s not enough to keep those guys in Kirkland. On the other side of the freeway, we have Bellevue Galleria in need of some tenants. It’s a match made in Eastside!
I looked up the galleria on Google earth, went to street view, and you’ll never guess what I saw on the sidewalk! People held up a sign saying “Bellevue Galleria hurts our community.” Weird, right? I’m assuming Bungie is getting a good deal out of a desperate building.
The desperate building we speak of.
So, what does this mean?
Bellevue Galleria is a failing shopping center right now. It’s struggling to compete with Lincoln Square a few blocks down, and ¼ of its retail space is empty. According to local reports, and even bloggers, the facility has been going downhill before Lincoln Square was built (a rival shopping center right by Bellevue Galleria). I’ve found reports of this place going downhill since 2004. The citizens of Bellevue aren’t too happy with Bellevue Galleria’s current state, and the facility’s new managers are bound and determined to get anyone in there. Luckily for them, Bungie isn’t just any business to lease a building to.
With Bungie moving in, will it bring about a little bit more prosperity to the facility? It could easily encourage more businesses to move in to cater to the ever-expanding Bungie Studios! I’m sure the vast majority of Bungie workers may have a longer commute, and will probably end up using the facility’s stores and such for the sake of convenience. Only time will tell!
Naturally, Kirkland isn’t extremely happy with Bungie’s move. Kirkland was all “Haha! We have software companies here! AND we have Bungie!” and now they’re all “Damn!” that Bungie is leaving. Is it possible that someone in Kirkland will step in to keep them somewhere in Kirkland, for the sake of the city’s reputation?
The new facility in Bellevue is approximately 85,000 square feet, more than able to house the 138 workers (numbers from the Kirkland city business records). The part of Bellevue Galleria Bungie is going to occupy was once a movie theatre. Such a layout would seem ideal for a game studio.
According to local rumor, and maybe even a few official mouths, Bungie will be moving out in January.
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