Easy Cash4ads»
Plans linked to Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) show the tech giant wants to create an underground site called Project Lucy in the former downtown Seattle Macy’s building where it will test an automated storage and retrieval system.
According to city documents filed in December, the southeast portion of the sub-basement would be changed from general office to research and development office space. Interior alterations would accommodate display storage and employee training spaces.
The filings don’t mention Amazon by name, but an Amazon store development leader based out of a company office building in South Lake Union is listed as the tenant and financially responsibility party.
Amazon has declined to comment.
Since December, fire protection hazard analysis documents have been filed by the Harrington Group showing Project Lucy in detail, with an “AMZN” label on the documents.
“Project Lucy is a ‘test case,’ ‘pilot,’ or otherwise ‘lab’ space for testing the Tenant’s operation (primarily back-of-house) for softlines (clothing, shoes) retail spaces,” one of the documents reads. “There will be a mixture of folded/rolled clothing (possibly stored in a plastic bags), shoes, and hanging garments stored in pods in a dedicated area within the Tenant Space.”
The document describes an automatic storage and retrieval system where clothing from various manufacturers is stored, rolled and hung in 9-foot storage towers called pods. When an item is ordered, autonomous robots will retrieve a pod containing the item from the storage field and carry it to picking stations where employees will grab the item. Employees would return the item using the same process in reverse.
The records don’t specify what retail sites it’s testing the technology for, but Amazon has launched a new brick-and-mortar venture focused on clothing and apparel. The company opened its first Amazon Style store earlier this year in Glendale, California.
The company hasn’t opened a clothing store in the Seattle area, but has recently started hiring for roles in Seattle including a site manager for an Amazon Style testing lab.
Amazon moved into the building in 2017, leasing the top six floors as its Blueshift office. For most of its existence the historic, 93-year-old building at 300 Pine St. was a Bon Marché department store. It was rebranded as Macy’s in 2005 before closing in February 2020.
Amazon temporarily pulled workers from the building in March, citing public safety concerns.
Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo and Portland-based fitness club Knot Springs are preparing to fill space on the lower floors, according to city records.
An honest and direct virtual conversation.
Nominate a Woman of Influence today. Help the Puget Sound Business Journal honor the region’s top women business and civic leaders with its 2021 Women of Influence Awards.
© 2022 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated January 1, 2021) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated July 1, 2022). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American City Business Journals.