REI, Facebook Give $2 Million To Eastrail Project

BELLEVUE, WA — Facebook and REI will each contribute $1 million to the Eastrail project, the co-op announced this week. The regional trail project is planned along a historic railroad line and will one day span 42 miles from Snohomish to Renton, running through Woodinville, Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue.

The donation follows the sale of REI's unused, newly-completed headquarters property in Bellevue, which Facebook purchased in a $390 million deal announced earlier this week. Instead of moving to Bellevue, REI is shifting to a "distributed work model" with corporate operations spread among several locations in the Seattle region.

Announcing the Eastrail investment, REI wrote in a news release:

"Following the sale, REI and Facebook are each donating $1 million to the Eastrail, a 42-mile trail that the co-op has been deeply involved in helping bring to life for the last 4 years. When complete, the trail system will connect the diverse communities and businesses of King County’s Eastside through access to transit alternatives, employee hubs and greenspace. This investment will further outdoor infrastructure for the region that’s been REI’s home base for 82 years—serving the area’s 1.4 million lifetime members with nine stores, a distribution center and its headquarters. "

So far, roughly 13 miles of trail sections are already open, including a lakefront segment running from Bellevue's Newcastle Beach Park to Gene Coulon Park in Renton. Work is underway to pave that section and replace portions of the Lake Washington Loop impacted by the Interstate 405 expansion.

Learn more about the Eastrail project, completed sections and further expansion plans on the Eastrail Partners website.