Apple Can Begin Work on New Spaceship Campus
The Cupertino City Council on Tuesday rubber-stamped Apple’s plans for a new headquarters in the city, giving the company the green light to begin construction of Campus 2 and the spaceship-shaped building that will be its centerpiece.
In a pair of unanimous votes Tuesday evening, the council agreed first to reduce the annual tax break it gives Apple by 15 percent and then to make official the formal approval given to the project last month.
“There will be short-term and long-term impacts from this new development,” Cupertino Mayor Orrin Mahoney said of the tax adjustment, which should mean an extra $1.8 million for the city’s coffers. “And as part of our negotiations, this change was just one way that Apple could continue to help us out in the long-term. This will give us some additional revenue, which will be nice to have.”
The City Council’s Tuesday vote was a formality, given its unanimous October decision. But it means that construction can now begin 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 has said it is eager to begin work on the site, targeting a completion date of mid-2016.