Bay Area High Tech Developments
High tech is all around us in the Bay Area. As soon as one building is up, a company outgrows it and needs another. People move where the jobs are so the real estate market evolves along with it. Here’s how some cities are growing along with their high tech neighbors.
San Jose
Google continues to buy up property in San Jose, with the recent purchase of three former Cisco buildings. Many residents currently commute out of the city to their high tech jobs. This opens up more possibilities to live where you work, plus plans for a downtown transit village.
Menlo Park
Facebook has plans for the largest development in Menlo Park history. The Willow Village proposal includes 1.75 million square feet of office space and 1,735 housing units. It would add around 6,000 employees to the Menlo Park campus, a stat that has the city encouraging Facebook to think housing first.
San Francisco
Space is limited in downtown San Francisco so companies like Uber are branching out to up-and-coming areas like the Dogpatch. They leased part of Pier 70 for their Advanced Technologies Group, a section of the company devoted to innovative projects like self-driving or flying cars.
Sunnyvale
Uber also leased two large office buildings in downtown Sunnyvale. While HQ sits in San Francisco, this expansion gives them a hub in the heart of Silicon Valley and an opportunity to attract more top talent. With a nearby Caltrain station and a downtown in the midst of a major revitalization, work-life allure is growing in Sunnyvale.
Millbrae
Gateway in Millbrae will be one of the largest transit-oriented developments in Bay Area history. While not financed by high-tech, it will feature 157,000 square feet of office space and housing in close proximity to BART and Caltrain, simplifying commutes from San Francisco all the way to San Jose.
Silicon Valley
Apple, Google and Facebook are pledging billions towards affordable housing in Silicon Valley. As communities turn into high-tech hubs with high-income residents, these contributions work to ease housing shortages and community concerns.