Google Unveils Mountain View Development Plans; Will Include Retail, Dining, Housing
MOUNTAIN VIEW (KPIX 5) -- Google has revealed plans for a large development in Mountain View that includes affordable housing. The tech giant says its goal is to help solve the Bay Area housing crisis.
The North Bayshore area is just north of U.S. Highway 101 off of Shoreline Blvd. What is now a collection of office buildings would be transformed into shops, restaurants, offices and housing, spanning two two new neighborhoods.
The renderings show lots of open space and Google's proposal includes up to 7,000 residential units, with 20% set aside for affordable housing.
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"It's cool, man, I guess just giving more housing opportunities to people. That's important," said Morgan Hill resident Mike Powell.
The City of Mountain View says it's working with Google on the new plan.
"There is no doubt that the need is immediate for affordable housing," said Mountain View Mayor Ellen Kamei. "How that is implemented is going to be something that we as council are going to be discussing in March and digging into what those details are."
In 2019, Google announced a $1 billion investment in housing across the Bay Area, by repurposing its own land.
It already has other development projects in the works, including 80 acres west of downtown San Jose. Google hopes to get the green light from the city early next year.
In a statement, Google Development Director Michael Tymoff said, in part, "We're committed to helping our hometown communities recover from the pandemic. We're looking forward to continuing to work with the city and community on next steps."
The Mountain View City Council will begin studying the proposal next month.
