Weyerhauser Campus

Weyerhaeuser Campus is one of the world’s most significant corporate campuses. Over 300 acres of forest wrap the campus. The only exposed building is the American Institute of Architecture’s award-winning headquarters building. The north and south meadows provide an expansive vista of the forest and headquarters building. North Lake, Weyerhaeuser Pond and the headwaters of the salmon-bearing Hylebos Creek anchor the campus’ tranquil natural setting.

For over fifty years, the campus has been a place to connect with nature. George Weyerhaeuser’s philosophy, to welcome the public on the campus’s 12-mile network of trails, is an exemplary gift. Rainier Audubon has led many field trips exploring the campus’ unique ecosystems and over 120 bird species. This prescient design demonstrates how we might address our 21st Century global issues: climate change, biodiversity loss, inclusivity, human wellness, and the critical relationship between the natural and built world.

The campus is easily eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Moreover, the environmental design qualities of this distinguished landscape and the unique ‘freedom of movement’ make it eligible for listing as a National Historic Landmark. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation has listed the campus as one of Washington’s most endangered historic places.

The Threat

A California industrial developer, Industrial Realty Group (IRG) purchased the campus in February 2016. Their plans are to transform the property from a forest-centric campus into an industrial warehouse complex. IRG has submitted land use proposals for 5 warehouses (over 1.5 million square feet) to be built on approximately 175 acres of the campus’ forested area.

Action

This project is a complex one with significant environmental, cultural, and historical concerns. The Rainier Audubon Society (RAS) is working on two aspects:

1. Participating in the land use application processes with the City of Federal Way and the US Army Corps of Engineers to address watershed, forest, and wildlife habitat concerns.
2. Conserving 54-acres North Lake shoreline property

RAS supports Save Weyerhaeuser Campus and Forterra, the Seattle-based land-conservation non-profit, who are working with city, county, and state governments to purchase and conserve 54-acres of undeveloped shoreline along North Lake for public use. This is one of the longest undeveloped shorelines in South King County. The forested shoreline is a crucial piece of the North Lake-Hylebos watershed and includes trails that have been open to public use for more than 40 years.

To date, $4.25 million in city, state and county grants has been awarded. At this time, IRG is not a “willing seller”, and no price has been set or appraisal completed, but it has been estimated that the lakefront property could cost between $8-10 million.

In 2018, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the Land Conservation Initiative to preserve over 65,000 acres of high-conservation land in King County. The North Lake shoreline was highlighted as the type of urban green spaces the initiative aims to preserve.

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Partner Websites

Save Weyerhaeuser Campus

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF)