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Google's San Jose Mega-Campus Wins City Approval (sfchronicle.com) 69

Posted by BeauHD from the social-infrastructure-plan dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the San Francisco Chronicle: After more than three years of negotiations, San Jose officials voted late Tuesday to approve Google's plan for a sprawling downtown campus with thousands of new homes, millions of square feet of office space and a first-of-its kind $200 million community benefit agreement. It's a deal that business, labor and community groups say could signal a shift in Bay Area development politics -- particularly as San Jose, long overshadowed by neighboring San Francisco, looks to rebound from the pandemic with more active public spaces near transit. But in a region long accustomed to isolated suburban tech campuses and big-dollar affordable housing commitments, some still questioned how exactly a $155 million community fund will be spent, and whether it will be enough to offset familiar concerns about gentrification, homelessness and daily issues like parking.

With the vote on Tuesday, Google can move forward with an80-acre development plan near San Jose's central rail hub at Diridon Station, including 4,000 new homes, more than 7 million square feet of office space, 15 acres of parks and 500,000 square feet of retail and other space. Under a community benefit deal approved earlier this year, the company also agreed to create a $155 million community stabilization fund for job training, homelessness and affordable housing. It's unprecedented for a Bay Area tech campus -- and a stark contrast to tech peers like Amazon and Tesla, which have at times asked governments to compete for business by cutting costs -- as well as developers from other industries where community concessions are not the norm. Before the coronavirus upended daily commutes, Google planned for up to 25,000 workers to occupy the new San Jose office. The company has since announced that some of its global workforce will shift to remote roles, but the city hopes that the proposed "Downtown West" neighborhood around the new offices will help buoy lively public spaces. "A Google spokesman said the company will soon transfer land to the city for planned affordable housing development," the report says. "It aims to start construction work in 2022 and plans to transfer an initial $3 million to the city within 30 days of approval of the project, the spokesman said. In the meantime, the San Jose City Council will be tasked with appointing a new committee to oversee the $155 million community fund."
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Google's San Jose Mega-Campus Wins City Approval More

Google's San Jose Mega-Campus Wins City Approval

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  • Bad idea to stay in California (Score:4, Interesting)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @11:54PM (#61426448)

    I feel kind of sorry for these tech companies sticking so strongly to California.

    After the pandemic many, many tech workers want freedom to work anywhere in the world, and the best people will take heavy advantage of that, so you no longer have the benefit of all of the best people being in CA specifically. The quality of life for an employee kind of sucks, with housing prices so expensive lower end engineers would have to share living quarters with one or more other people. Also the taxes in California on generally higher tech wages are insane if you want to save a substantial amount fo retirement. The opportunity cost of living in California now is just too huge and no longer outweigh the benefits.

    So it sure seems like large flagship campuses in California are more like an anchor these days than a benefit... I feel sorry for Apple in the same way, although for both companies I guess there is still a lot of marketing value in show campuses even if not so many people end up working in them.

    • It’s all about Stanford, and to a lesser degree UC Berkeley.

    • If 1/10 of the people who threaten to, actually left California, something might be affordable. Also, you can check out, but you can never leave.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by k6mfw ( 1182893 )

        Also, you can check out, but you can never leave.

        Reminds me of the phrase from the song and also early Calif history back in the days of Junipero Serra. It was said Native Americans don't have to move into a Mission but if they do, they will never be allowed to leave.

      • Also, you can check out, but you can never leave.

        You have no idea how true that line is. Despite all the hate on California, and all the chaos of California cities, and the fires, it's still an amazing place in many ways. You never really leave it.

        • Oh yes you can. Any time I find myself in California, it takes about 4 days before I'm ready to get the hell out of there.

          There are lots of places in the world that has many of the same benefits and attractions as California, but without the downsides of California.

          • Perhaps visiting California and living there are different things. I had the same reaction in reverse with Paris. Loved visiting it, but hated it when I went to live there.

    • Re:Bad idea to stay in California (Score:5, Insightful)

      by tlhIngan ( 30335 ) <slashdot.worf@net> on Thursday May 27, 2021 @05:02AM (#61426916)

      After the pandemic many, many tech workers want freedom to work anywhere in the world, and the best people will take heavy advantage of that, so you no longer have the benefit of all of the best people being in CA specifically.

      No, but a lot of people are there, so there's a big talent pool, and people will stay because there likewise is a big job pool.

      If you move to the middle of nowhere, all the jobs you're going to get offered you'll have to find, because most likely the middle of nowhere won't be a big city, but just a small town with little need for your talents. Companies that hire you know that your options are slim unless you're willing to move or commute, and that your cost of living is low, so they will pay you less.

      Most people during the pandemic though, did not leave - they just moved a bit farther out. Maybe instead of a 30 minute commute to the office, it's a 2 hour commute. But if you only do that once every month, it's a net gain, but you're not too far away if SHTF.

      And that's likely to remain - people work from home most of the time, but go to the office once a week or so

      • If you move to the middle of nowhere, all the jobs you're going to get offered you'll have to find, because most likely the middle of nowhere won't be a big city, but just a small town with little need for your talents. Companies that hire you know that your options are slim unless you're willing to move or commute, and that your cost of living is low, so they will pay you less.

        This is only true if telecommuting doesn't become fully normalized.

        The situation you describe is the one I've been in for years. I've been full-time remote for more than seven years, working for Google while living in the sticks. I love it, but I've always been vaguely nervous about my job options, and about what I'd do if Google ever decided that they want me to go to an office (not that there's ever been any hint of that). I have always gotten lots of emails from headhunters, and while I've never real

      • a lot of people are there, so there's a big talent pool

        Theres's still a kind of big talent pool, what I am saying though is a lot of them have left. Californians have been moving rapidly to other states that treat citizens better.

        If you move to the middle of nowhere, all the jobs you're going to get offered you'll have to find

        That's true of anywhere. And choosing to work remote means you have the entire world to choose from for who to work with.

        Most people during the pandemic though, did not leave - they

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by trawg ( 308495 )

        How much of a pay cut would you take though to never have to go to the office? If the option is stay in the Bay Area and battle traffic for two hours (and still struggle to find a reasonable, affordable place to live even 1 hour + out) or move to the Midwest where your rent is halved (or you can buy a nice house for low six figures), it might be worth a significant salary bite, especially if you're moving back near family or friends.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      When recruiters come to you tell them that you are looking for remote work only. Make it clear that remote is here to stay and that companies which don't offer it aren't going to get good people.

    • Really, it's a mix.

      Taxes in California aren't really that much higher, especially factoring in services. A lot of (especially Republican) states effectively "hide" their taxes as fees, and let those fees (which are so numerous it's ridiculous) become taxes saying it only affects those that use the services. Umm, sure, but the "fee" is over a thousand times higher than it was previously because you jacked the cost from a couple bucks to several hundred (or even several thousand) dollars. Even state parks
    • California is unbeatable, with enough money. Driving down Hwy 1 along the coast, through Malibu, looking up at the mansions on the hills. OMG

    • I feel kind of sorry for these tech companies sticking so strongly to California.

      That's utterly moronic; not only do they want to be there, they want it running exactly as it is.

      • not only do they want to be there, they want it running exactly as it is.

        If you say so I guess, though I have to say when I start a company I usually do not desire a large increase in human excrement and illegal camping around my campus.

    • Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out... you will not be missed.
      Although the way you describe things I doubt you have ever actually lived here.

  • I owe my soul to the company store (Score:3, Funny)

    by layabout ( 1576461 ) on Thursday May 27, 2021 @12:22AM (#61426490)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTCen9-RELM

    You load sixteen tons, what do you get
    Another day older and deeper in debt
    Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
    I owe my soul to the company store

  • Shooter goes on a rampage, kills 8 people. YTD murder count in SJ is 24.

    Google, like facebook is trying a social experiment. Find a reasonably bad city with somewhat cheap land and try to drive out all the miscreants causing the crime. Facebook did it with Menlo Park/East Palo Alto. I have co-workers that bought their house in EPA back in the 90's for $100k or less, and now their houses are worth way more than mine in San Jose.

    This doesn't exactly solve anything though. Google Security guards will just

  • Didnâ(TM)t the dead shoe guy already try this in Nevada?

  • Google can move forward with an80-acre development plan near San Jose's central rail hub at Diridon Station, including 4,000 new homes, more than 7 million square feet of office space, 15 acres of parks and 500,000 square feet of retail and other space

    How do you get that much stuff in 80 acres? I think the artist rendering understates how vertical they are going to have to go.

    • Google can move forward with an80-acre development plan near San Jose's central rail hub at Diridon Station, including 4,000 new homes, more than 7 million square feet of office space, 15 acres of parks and 500,000 square feet of retail and other space

      How do you get that much stuff in 80 acres? I think the artist rendering understates how vertical they are going to have to go.

      Disneyland used to be about 80 acres. It's a big space. Back of the napkin numbers:

      500,000sf retail is about 6 acres at two stories.
      4,000 new homes at 1,000sf/ea (yes, that's modest in size) will use 15 acres at four stories.
      7,000,000sf of offices might cover 44 acres at four stories.
      Parks = 15 acres.
      TOTAL: ~80 acres

      • Do not forget that they will need roads (for deliveries of goods and materials and removal of waste even if not for residents). The retail will require a significant amount of walking space to get to and from each store. Does the 7M sf of office space include the mechanical infrastructure (heating, cooling, sewage handling), needed to support it? Even if people only walk or ride within the compound, there will need to be a significant number of parking spaces, 4000 for residential, 1000 for retail (2/1000 s

        • Do not forget that they will need roads (for deliveries of goods and materials and removal of waste even if not for residents). The retail will require a significant amount of walking space to get to and from each store. Does the 7M sf of office space include the mechanical infrastructure (heating, cooling, sewage handling), needed to support it? Even if people only walk or ride within the compound, there will need to be a significant number of parking spaces, 4000 for residential, 1000 for retail (2/1000 sf) and another 9000 for the office space. So a total of around 14,000. With a significant number of "compact" spaces, you could get maybe 115/ac (leaving room for lanes to enter and exit all the spaces) is 121 ac. Now, maybe they are going to really cut down on parking given the idea is to make the area walking and biking (scooter, Segway, Hoverboard, Onewheel )friendly; so maybe only half, so 60 ac, but doing that means more open space on the walkways.

          Of course... my estimates were back-of-napkin. I believe the article mentioned no parking which is a huge "win" in terms of space usage. Apartment buildings don't need much space for streets relative to suburban ranch housing. Adding a third floor for the retail shrinks that usage rapdily. Putting the homes above retain shrinks the acreage too. So-called "live-work-play" areas are popping up all around us in Los Angeles.

          In my experience... When it comes to office space, the estimates tend to reflect "leasa

    • When they say "homes" they really mean "condos and apartments". And the 15 acres of parks will not be one 15 acre park, but likely include small parcels of land that can't legitimately be used for anything but planting grass and trees due to other design constraints and regulations.

  • I look for the good man. I would be your Mistress!! Punish me! =>> https://v.ht/user2877 [v.ht]

  • 4,000 new homes in 80 acres (Score:3)

    by DarkOx ( 621550 ) on Thursday May 27, 2021 @07:41AM (#61427102) Journal

    4,000 new homes in 80 acres sounds like a living hell to me even without all the office space and other stuff crammed in there.

    Just awful

    • I hear you, but with the price of real estate in the Bay Area, these might actually be an upgrade from the coffin-sized dwellings where those 4,000 families are currently residing.

      Upgrading from a cardboard box to a train boxcar may feel like real luxury to some.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by DarkOx ( 621550 )

        coffin-sized dwellings

        An acre is about 209 feet x 209 feet

        (80 / 4000) * 209 = 4.18

        So if there were no other buildings, roads, parks, parking spaces, side walks, etc in the entire space home would get a whopping 17 square feet of ground!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by skam240 ( 789197 )

          Buildings can be built in a multistory fashion thus providing much more living space than their physical foot print.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by DarkOx ( 621550 )

            Gee - thanks for that surprising information!

            That was my point. Since nobody lives in 17 sq.ft obviously we are talking about mostly multi-story, multi-family dwellings here.

            Sounds like a paradise, spend half your day in cube (if you're lucky) in an office building, enjoy a nice walk home on some narrow path between towering structures, to try and enjoy your still small dwelling where you get to listen to tween girls having their dance practice overhead and the obnoxious thumping of your neighbors disaster

        • Thank goodness we cracked the engineering know-how to create multi-floor structures complete with indoor plumbing and wiring like 100 years ago, eh?

    • Yeah, the entire allotment of park space for those 4000 households is half the side of my one-family property.

      It's a Google factory town. I'm sure Googlers will be tripping over themselves to live there.

      The neighborhood arguments about privilege should be fairly spectacular.

  • From the summary:

    Under a community benefit deal approved earlier this year, the company also agreed to create a $155 million community stabilization fund for job training, homelessness and affordable housing

    This money will barely make a dent as Silicon Valley's core problem is one that money alone cant solve and that's a truly massive housing shortage that spills over and hurts all of the surrounding communities. This problem manifests in a horrific rate of homelessness as people literally just cant afford a place to live and in the massive amount of green house gasses generated by all the service workers who have to live outside the area and drive in (the freeways are around 5 or 6 lanes one

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