Google is following through on its pledge to invest $1 billion into affordable housing in the Bay Area.
Last week, the tech giant revealed its revised plans for a 122-acre, mixed-use community in northern Mountain View that would deliver 7,000 new homes, including 1,400 units of affordable housing. Google has partnered with prolific global developer Lendlease to design and construct the ambitious project.
A previous iteration called for 5,760 new homes, which Google ramped up in an effort to spur economic recovery post-pandemic. They’ve also set aside commercial spaces for local businesses, non-profits and non-governmental organizations in response.
Nearly two dozen existing office buildings would be bulldozed to make way for the new structures. Named Joaquin and Shorebird, two new neighborhoods would be carved out, comprising their own community amenities and unique traits. Mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings of up to 15 stories have been proposed throughout, featuring a mix of for-sale and rental properties in studio to three-bedroom layouts.
The master plan also calls for 3.1 million square feet of office space, 265,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 20,000 square feet dedicated to community uses. A new grocery store, elementary school and urban ecology center have been pitched, in addition to 34 acres of open space imagined as city parks, recreation facilities, hiking trails and habitat restoration lands.
The design of the mixed-use community is geared toward walkability, encouraging residents to complete errands on foot or commute to work by bicycle — perhaps at Google’s headquarters, located only a short distance from the development site.
The project would be the largest of its kind in Mountain View and is scheduled to go before City Council in late March. Google expects to gain approval by early 2022 and kick off construction the following year.
