The social media giant Facebook unveiled on Friday plans to transform the campus of its Silicon Valley, Calif., Headquarters into a “mixed-use town,” housing and retail businesses. Housing, grocery stores, a hotel and more are part of what is planned for this new project that will be based at the corporate campus Menlo Park, California, where Facebook plans to build this new “village.” The drive for the Willow Campus comes from the current existence of inappropriate housing and public transportation, making it difficult for workers in the technology giant created by Mark Zuckerberg to live where the main social network is based, according to its vice president of global facilities and real estate, John Tenanes. The plan, whose final version is to be developed next to the city of Menlo Park, covers 11,600 square meters of commercial space, including a warehouse, a pharmacy and other stores such as one can usually find in a neighborhood.
“Working with the community, our goal for the Willow Campus is to create an integrated, mixed-use village that will provide much-needed services, housing, and transit solutions, as well as office space,” Tenanes explained. “Our hope is to create a physical space that supports our community and builds on our existing programs,” he added. Posted by Facebook Community on Thursday, July 6, 2017
Transformed offices
The social network giant Facebook’s headquarters includes a group of buildings on the former campus of Sun Microsystems, acquired in 2011. The leading social network transformed the office park with touches that included roads between buildings, giving it a small town feel. Several years later, Facebook bought neighboring land and built an annex designed by the architect Frank Gehry. The Willow Campus plan foresees 1,500 homes, 15% of which would be offered at lower prices than the market, according to Tenanes. Facebook will present its latest plans to the city this month, starting a review process that is expected to take about two years, he added. Later construction will follow, whose first phase would be completed, it is estimated, in early 2021. So, what do you think about this village? Simply share your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
