Not every millionaire is leaving Seattle. One worth approximately $784 million is doubling down on his Capitol Hill home in a project that has left neighbors scratching their heads..
As pundits spread fear of the wealthy fleeing Washington with the passage of the state’s first income tax on earnings above $1 million, a peculiar construction project underway around Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s Capitol Hill family home is showing neighbors what it is like to live adjacent massive wealth.
“Only you can ferret out what’s happening at the Jassy (Amazon ceo ) house,” one CHS reader writes —
Looks like he bought the house next door and tore it down. I know it was bought a few years ago by a trust, but I assume it was him because his security camera system expanded onto that property. Curious what’s being built there, if anything. Thanks.
Dear reader, you are onto something.
City of Seattle permits and county records show that the demolition of a near $3 million North Capitol Hill mansion is, indeed, a Jassy project.
According to county records, a family trust purchased the 3,500-square-foot house next door to Jassy’s Capitol Hill home for $2.8 million in 2021.
Times have changed. Jassy purchased his 1906-built, 10,000-square-foot mansion for $3.15 million in 2009, the county says.
A permit to demolish the the1902-era mansion next door was issued in 2024 but the teardown — and the questions — didn’t come until this fall.
Now neighbors in Jassy’s corner of the Hill are asking CHS what happened — and what is coming next.
Having the Amazon CEO as a neighbor has become more interesting in these current interesting times. In October, SPD reported its officers had responded to a demonstration at a “local tech company CEO’s residence” after protesters gathered on the street outside Jassy’s home.
“Protesters used a vehicle brigade to block the street. They spray painted the sidewalk and surveillance cameras at the residence and threw red glitter and several Lime scooters at the front entry gate of the residence,” the SPD brief reads. “The protesters were angry with the CEO and his company over its business dealings with the Israeli government.”
“This event occurred on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur,” SPD reported. “The family advised they felt specifically targeted by protesters because they are Jewish,” the brief concludes.
While protesters — and neighbors — know the home’s location, CHS is not identifying it here. Regular large parties and events with professional crews and security have also drawn plenty of attention over the years as does the property’s array of security cameras overlooking the surrounding sidewalks, streets, and alleyways.
Meanwhile, Jassy and Amazon’s relationship with Seattle has experienced new strains. The January shutdown of the Amazon Fresh grocery at 23rd and Union was only the latest in the global retail giant’s maneuverings that have cut close to the bone in its home city’s neighborhoods.
The 58-year-old began serving as the company’s CEO in 2021 after leading Amazon Web Services to worldwide dominance.
As for what is coming next next door, according to the permit paperwork, the Amazon CEO has expansion on his mind.
The project has filed to combine the newly demolished 6,000-square-foot lot with Jassy’s. The result will be a half-acre property surrounding Jassy’s existing home.
Permit diagrams show plans for a lawn and landscaping to replace the demolished mansion and a new, compact 1,500-square-foot “single family residence” sandwiched into a garage structure next to the existing mansion on the alley side of the newly combined property.
For now, the demolished parcel lot is empty with work underway on infrastructure and sewer while the paperwork is completed for combining the properties and permitting the new structure.
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