Outdoorsy Seattleites have reason to celebrate: local retailer Evo is in the process of building a full campus in the Fremont/Wallingford area, complete with new office space, a bouldering gym, an indoor skatepark and more.
The full block mixed-use parcel was purchased for $17.5 million earlier this year, bringing to fruition a project that has been 10 years in the making. The purchase gives Evo the room it needs to expand its physical presence and make room for the much-anticipated Campus Seattle location.
The new development will combine office buildings with retail, restaurants and action sports amenities. It’s not far from Evo’s current development, the “Fremont Collective” — the location of their current flagship store, the indoor All Together skatepark, a bouldering gym and two beloved local restaurants, The Whale Wins and Joule.
Campus Seattle will provide 230,000 square feet of office space for Evo, spread out between two new office buildings at 35 Stone Way N and the southeast corner of the block at 35 Interlake. The plan is for Evo to find the right tenant to occupy the space; the company had actually just completed their own new headquarters in Fremont shortly before the pandemic.
In total, Evo employs about 600 people, with 120 working out of its headquarters in Seattle. The company experienced massive growth in the last year, increasing revenue by about 45% despite the pandemic. The company’s 80/20 e-commerce to in-store business model may have something to do with its success, as well as other retailers like REI operating in a more “complimentary” than competitive sense.
With remote work continuing to push people to experience the outdoors more on their own time, Evo has created an active community centered on the love of the outdoors. Campus Seattle will offer would-be weekend warriors a new place to get ready for their next adventure.
This article was originally posted on GeekWire by Kurt Schlosser.
