Google touts affordable housing, local shops in new Mountain View campus proposal

Google released preliminary plans late last week for its future campus in northern Mountain View, CA, which emphasizes several thousand new homes and space for local shops amid pandemic recovery.

For the project, Google and development partner Lendlease propose adding 7,000 residential units in the new Mountain View campus, which is an increase from the 5,760 homes it proposed in its last set of plans for the project. It also aims to designate approximately 20% of that, or 1,400 units, for “affordable” homes. That’s double the amount of Mountain View’s existing affordable homes, Michael Tymoff, Google’s Mountain View development director said. Google has not disclosed how much it’s spending on the new campus.

“As we continue to grow in the Bay Area, we’re committed to helping our hometown communities recover from the pandemic and solve challenging problems,” Tymoff said in a statement. “Our proposal prioritizes housing, on our land and offers a great opportunity to turn North Bayshore in Mountain View into a community with affordable homes, restaurants, parks, office space and so much more.”

The latest plans, which are a continuation of a refresh to its current Mountain View headquarters, come as Google continues to expand its real estate footprint in the San Francisco Bay Area while other companies downsize or re-locate outside of the pricey region amid the pandemic. Unlike many other tech companies, Google plans to return employees to offices this September. 

It also comes as the company departs the traditional enclosed tech campuses in favor of a “mixed-use” style that includes more community-friendly features. Last summer, Google submitted plans for its massive, 80-acre mixed-use campus planned for downtown San Jose, CA, just 18 miles away from Mountain View. 

The company plans for the latest Mountain View campus to contain 3.1 million square feet of office space and 265,000 square feet of local shops, restaurants and a grocery store. It also proposes to dedicate four acres to an elementary school site. 

Plans also include 18 acres of Google-owned land dedicated to the city for public parks and recreation, including walking trails and an ecology center.

The company still needs approval from the Mountain View City Council before a final plan is agreed upon and construction can begin.