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Google Buys Sizable Plot Of Land In Gilroy To Use As Tree Nursery

GILROY (KPIX 5) -- Google is planning to use a newly purchased plot of land in Gilroy to grow landscaping vegetation for its properties, according to an email to KPIX 5.

"We are planning to use the property as a tree nursery for existing and future campuses," said Michael Appel, Manager of Global Communications and Public Affairs.

The rectangular 40-acre parcel is located at Rossi Lane in east Gilroy. The area is home to mostly industrial businesses. The freshly tilled dirt plot is mostly empty, except for several dilapidated structures.

County records indicate the selling price was $2.1 million.

Google Buys Gilroy Land To Use As Tree Nursery
The $2.1 million plot of land that Google plans to use as a tree nursery for its properties (CBS)

Appel did not provide details on the scope of the project but said it would be for trees and "not office space."

The sheer size of the plot speaks to the volume of growth that Google is undergoing in the Bay Area. In Mountain View, the company is adding on to its headquarters.

In downtown San Jose, the massive project Google Village at the Diridon Train Station that is estimated to create up to 20-thousand jobs will also need a small forest worth of bushes, shrubs and trees.

"I hope it's not weed," neighbor Al Amador said with a chuckle. Amador lives half a block away and says he has been driving past the empty plot for years.

"I think it's good for Gilroy to have outside investment. So it'll definitely help the area," said Amador.

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