Could police training center relocate to iconic corporate site? State weighs options

The evolution of the former Weyerhaeuser campus in Federal Way into Woodbridge Corporate Park continues with the signing of Amazon as a tenant and hopes of attracting a new state law enforcement training academy.

Coby Holley is vice president and asset development manager with property owner Industrial Realty Group of Los Angeles. Holley told The News Tribune that the Amazon deal was in the works about six months.

Holley said the property’s owner also is pursuing state tenants for the former headquarters building.

“We have been working with the Department of Enterprise Services and the (state) Criminal Justice Training Commission to find a new regional location for the academy,” Holley told The News Tribune on Wednesday.

IRG purchased the more-than 400-acre site from Weyerhaeuser in 2016 for $70.5 million. The group is known for repurposing former corporate campuses.

The real estate firm has made clear since its purchase that it envisioned more office/industrial use for the site, which is starting to come to fruition with Amazon moving into one of two industrial spaces there.

Leigh Anne Gullett, a media representative for Amazon, confirmed with The News Tribune in late May that the e-retail giant had signed a lease at the Federal Way site “recently.” Gullett offered no further details as to Amazon’s plans.

In a news release issued June 5, IRG made its formal Amazon tenant announcement. It noted that Amazon “fully leased” the 225,882-square-foot building at 33815 Weyerhaeuser Way S. at Woodbridge Corporate Park.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Amazon to Woodbridge Corporate Park and the greater Federal Way community,” said Holley. “Amazon will play a significant role in transforming this incredible property into a vibrant, multi-tenant campus.”

IRG recently completed construction on two buildings totaling about 440,000 square feet of Class A industrial space. The group said it spent around $3.5 million in infrastructure upgrades, including new sidewalks, lighting, roadway, landscaping and more.

It is still “actively pursuing” a new tenant for the second building, IRG added.

The nonprofit Save Weyerhaeuser Campus has been monitoring developments at the site throughout the process.

On Thursday, in response to IRG’s news release about Amazon, the group’s president Lori Sechrist said via email that the organization “welcomes Amazon as IRG’s first tenant.”

Sechrist added that “We are hopeful they will be a good neighbor to the surrounding community by respecting the traffic stipulations set forth by the City of Federal Way. The safety and security of the community should be Amazon’s highest priority.”

“As IRG moves forward with the rest of their entitlements the Save Weyerhaeuser Campus will continue to hold the City accountable for the cumulative review for traffic and storm water mitigation for the entire campus,” Sechrist wrote.

Business park and former headquarters building

Meanwhile, IRG also is pursuing plans for a new business park on the property which also could bring new use to the iconic former Weyerhaeuser headquarters building.

State plans were announced in May 2022 to evaluate potential options for purchasing or leasing the former Weyerhaeuser headquarters building.

“The state has issued funding for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission to conduct a feasibility study and predesign process,” Holley told The News Tribune. The study is to “explore relocating from their dilapidated facility and consolidating operations for training and education capabilities with other agencies.”

CJTC’s campus is in Burien and has been the primary site for training in law enforcement, corrections, public safety and the criminal justice fields.

In July 2022, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a plan for regional training campuses to help ease some of the space crunch at the main Burien campus.

In a predesign request for qualifications issued last summer, the Department of Enterprise Services called on the commission to “collaborate with the Department of Corrections and the Washington State Patrol to identify and evaluate options for co-locating training facilities and maximizing efficiencies in space usage.”

It added, “The commission shall consider where cost efficiencies and mutually beneficial shared arrangements for training could occur, including the possibility of a regional training facility or expanded tactical training at the Washington State Patrol academy in Shelton.”

It also noted that proposals had to include an option for renovating the Burien campus, with an anticipated construction budget of $70 million for whichever option is ultimately chosen.

“This project is pending phased funding for design and construction that will be requested in the 2025-27 Capital Budget and may continue to future biennia,” the DES request document added.

The document did make note of the former Weyerhaeuser site’s potential.

“The WSCJTC has looked at rebuilding on its current 36-acre site, relocating to an alternate campus like the Weyerhaeuser Building located in Federal Way, Washington, and having two storage warehouses redesigned into a training facility.”

it added that “An alternate like a Weyerhaeuser site would have the square footage needed in existing buildings that can be remodeled to meet WSCJTC’s needs today and for future growth. An alternate location like a Weyerhaeuser site also gives the state the opportunity to co-locate with Department of Corrections, WSP, a college or other state agencies on the same campus.”

In April 2022, the training commission stated in its Capital and Functional Needs Study report that “the existing WSCJTC limited site is not capable of supporting the full needs of the commission. Most notably, the site is of insufficient size to permit construction of critical vehicle training components.”

The report noted that the “full extent of defined site and space needs ... require a site of 75-100 acres. An ideal site would be one already owned by the State of Washington and located in the King/Pierce County area.”

Holley told The News Tribune on Wednesday that “We’ve offered the former headquarters building and new buildings planned for the campus and look forward to seeing the next steps from the state later this summer.”

Relocating with expanded operations at Woodbridge, Holley noted, could help “solve the lengthy waitlist bottleneck for the mandatory training required to hire new police officers, corrections officers, and other parks and tribal government public safety professionals.”

“The 337,604 square feet available in the former headquarters building would meet the needs of several agencies who train and educate police and other public safety officers from all across Washington,” he added.

Jennifer Reynolds is communications manager for the state Department of Enterprise Services. The department, as she described in response to questions via email, is “working on behalf of CJTC to produce alternative locations for its facility.”

“The study is pending and final analysis of the alternatives is yet to be determined,” Reynolds said.

Holley said he echoed that response and added, “IRG is cooperating with DES’s process and is awaiting their final analysis.”

Monica Alexander, WSCJTC director, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

According to IRG’s release on Wednesday, the already-constructed industrial buildings and separate proposed business park project would include “more than 3,100 permanent jobs and $6.8 million in annual tax revenue to the City of Federal Way... . These campus developments will retain forest buffers, including the former Weyerhaeuser headquarters building, which is consistent with Weyerhaeuser’s original plans for the campus.”