Insert Bad “Apple Campus 2 Approved for Lift Off” Joke Here
The Cupertino city council on Tuesday night unanimously approved the Apple Campus 2 project, a 2.8-million-square-foot structure of curved glass, concrete and steel nicknamed the “Spaceship.” The structure was a dream of Steve Jobs’s, who personally pitched it to the council in one of his last public appearances.
“Steve transformed Apple into one of the most innovative companies in the world and we understand the responsibilities that come from carrying his legacy forward with this project,” Apple’s director of real estate & facilities Dan Whisenhunt said Tuesday night. “We’ve designed it with the same care and attention to detail as we do with all Apple products.”
Issued amid a handful of concerns about the project’s potential impact on neighboring roadways, the city council’s decision is essentially final, though the group must meet one more time in mid-November for what the Mercury News describes as “a final and largely perfunctory vote.” Once that’s done, Apple can begin work on the 176-acre campus, which, when completed, will accommodate up to 12,000 employees and include a massive research facility, 1,000-seat auditorium, and underground parking. Apple expects to begin demolition later this year, targeting a completion date of 2016.
Apple CEO Tim Cook celebrated the news of Cupertino’s decision in an early-morning tweet:
Our home for innovation and creativity for decades to come. Cupertino City Council Gives Unanimous Approval for Apple's New Campus
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 16, 2013