PATH, currently at 1455 N.W. Leary Way, has announced it is leaving Ballard to relocate its headquarters office to a new location in South Lake Union by January 2010.

On April 2, 2009, PATH signed a letter of intent with Vulcan Real Estate to retain three floors (111,000 square feet) of 2201 Westlake Avenue, a 12-story building in the South Lake Union district, according to a notice on PATH's Web site.

It's been rumored that Mars Hill Church, located just down the street from PATH on Leary, has been eyeing the property. Ian Sanderson, who handles public relations for the church, said the organization is aware the property will become available.

"We're evaluating our options," said Sanderson.

PATH has occupied roughly 75,000 square feet of space in multiple buildings in Ballard since early 2002.

“The 2201 Westlake building in South Lake Union represents a holistic solution to meet PATH’s current and future needs,” said Dr. Christopher J. Elias, PATH’s president and chief executive officer. “We are very pleased with the exceptional agreement we have reached with Vulcan and what it means for the future of PATH’s work.”

PATH is an international, nonprofit organization that works toward "sustainable solutions worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health."

“We are delighted to welcome PATH as another new world-class neighbor in the South Lake Union community joining other innovators who call the area home,” said Ada M. Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan Inc. “PATH will be a vital part of South Lake Union’s creative class workforce that will help drive a new economic engine for our entire region, attracting new investment and jobs to the area.”

The number of staff housed at PATH’s Seattle headquarters has doubled in the past decade, and for more than a year, PATH has been reviewing options to address immediate and long-term facilities needs.

The new location meets PATH’s search criteria on several fronts:
• Affordability in the short and long term.
• Flexible space that can accommodate current and future growth.
• Environmentally friendly building (currently pursuing "Gold" Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED] from the US Green Building Council) with easy access to green transport options.

The organization said on its Web site the new location in South Lake Union will put PATH closer to partners in the Washington Global Health Alliance and the region’s leaders in research, health, and technology. Neighbors include Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, the University of Washington’s biotechnology and medical research hub, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The search for a new headquarters facility is part of a larger effort to increase PATH’s work to create sustainable, culturally relevant solutions that enable communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health.

"PATH has a legacy of being an excellent steward of its resources and is committed to the Seattle area. This is a perfect example of the right building, in the right neighborhood coming along at the perfect time for PATH,” said Steve Davis, PATH board member and a senior advisor for McKinsey & Company’s Social Sector Office.

PATH has 34 offices in 19 countries and has more than 700 employees.