Despite its significance in the world of artificial intelligence, the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) can be tough to find in its current nondescript home on the northeast side of Lake Union in Seattle. That’s about to change.
AI2 has leased a full floor in the new Northlake Commons building, in a high-profile spot just up the road from its current home, according to an announcement from the partnership behind the project, Seattle developer Hess Callahan Grey Group, San Francisco-based Spear Street Capital, and the Dunn Lumber Family.
The mass-timber building, at 3800 Latona Ave NE, is perched on a slope overlooking the water, adjacent the Burke-Gilman Trail, a short bike ride or walk from the University of Washington or AI2’s current location.
Responding to an inquiry from GeekWire about the lease, AI2 said it will have about 200 employees in the building to start. AI2 isn’t yet saying if it will expand to this space and keep its current office, or move entirely to this new building.
AI2 leased 50,000 square feet. A move-in date hasn’t been announced.
It’s part of what appears to be an emerging AI corridor in Seattle. Santa Clara-based Collaborative Robotics, for example, recently opened its own Seattle office for its Foundation Models AI research team in a nearby building.
AI2, founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has been led for the past year by Ali Farhadi, who rejoined the institute in July 2023, succeeding Oren Etzioni as CEO, after leading Apple’s machine learning initiatives.
The institute released its Open Language Model, or OLMo, in February, part of a larger effort to bring more transparency to the rise of generative AI models. It won Innovation of the Year at the 2024 GeekWire Awards.
Amenities at Northlake Commons include a plaza with a view of Lake Union, a bike room with lockers and showers, private roof decks, and a paddleboard locker room with access to water activities. A bioswale filters up to 2.6 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually, helping to protect the lake and surrounding area.
General contractor Swinerton constructed the building, which was designed by architect Weber Thompson. James Yalowitz from Kidder Mathews, represented AI2 in the deal. Jacob Thurber of First Western Properties handles retail leasing. Lloyd Low and Joe Gowan of JLL are handling office and life science leasing.
The Puget Sound Business Journal previously reported on the AI2 lease.
https://ift.tt/W4e0sju July 22, 2024 at 04:53PM GeekWire
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