Google (GOOG) is planning to unveil plans for a sprawling new headquarters this week, according to The New York Times, but some residents of the company’s hometown of Mountain View, Calif. Aren’t happy about it.
The new Googleplex would include “canopylike buildings,” the Times reports, as well as bike and pedestrian paths. However, a new facility to accommodate Google’s ever-growing workforce (nearly 54,000 at the end of 2014) could place even more strain on the overcrowded Mountain View. Traffic gridlock is now common and housing prices have increased thanks to the influx of well-paid tech workers.
Mountain View’s city council appears split on how much leeway to allow Google as it builds out. Some see Google’s expansion as an opportunity to turn Mountain View into a world-class city, while others worry that if more Google residents begin living in Mountain View itself rather than San Francisco, they’ll be able to to create a strong enough voting block to effectively control the local government.
The full proposal for Google’s headquarters is expected to be submitted Friday, according to the Times.