Google has dozens of real estate projects in the US, and it says at least 20 key projects will receive nearly $10 billion in investments this year.
In a blog post Wednesday, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted nationwide offices and data centers that are either under construction or opening in 2022. In California alone, work is underway on construction and some housing in the San Francisco Bay Area, including two large office buildings in Mountain View, near headquarters, and several other office buildings in neighboring cities.
Pichai also said it expects to add at least 12,000 new full-time jobs at Google by the end of the year.
The total cost of nationwide investments in offices and data centers in the US will be approximately $9.5 billion in 2022, the company said. That’s up from the $7 billion and 10,000 new jobs announced last year.
The investments, many of which were made before 2022, come as the company begins bringing employees back into the office after two years of teleworking during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company’s returns policy is for most employees to come to their assigned physical offices three days a week. Despite opposition from some employees, the company has welcomed employees back with the help of celebrations, including marching bands and prominent politicians.
As part of Google’s 2022 real estate projects, the company is advancing a significant presence in San Jose, which has approved Google’s plan for a mixed-use mega campus that spans 80 acres and 7.3 million square feet of office space in the heart of the third largest city of california. To win over critics, Google made more than half of its campus available for public use and offered a $200 million community benefits package that includes eviction funds, job placement training, and powers for community leaders to use influence.
Google’s Wednesday post said it recently opened a new office in downtown Portland and invested in a data center in The Dalles, also in Oregon. It is also expanding its campuses in Kirkland and Seattle, Washington.
The company is also in the process of expanding its New York offices and modernizing its Cambridge and Pittsburgh campuses, Wednesday’s blog post said. It is opening a new office in Atlanta, Georgia this year and is “making progress” on building a new office in downtown Austin, Texas, it said.