AMD preparing to vacate Sunnyvale headquarters, sources say

[Shawn Knight]

Those in and around Silicon Valley are no doubt familiar with the massive white campus at 1090 E. Duane Ave., otherwise known as the headquarters of Advanced Micro Devices.

The chipmaker has called the 319,000-square-foot campus in Sunnyvale home for years but according to a recent report from the Silicon Valley Business Journal, AMD may be planning to vacate in the near future.

Sources familiar with the matter tell the publication that Newport Beach-based developer Irving Company is looking to purchase the property. Multiple real estate sources say the developer could build hundreds of apartments on the 32.5-acre site.

Interestingly enough, AMD doesn’t actually own the campus as it leases the space from New York-based real estate investment trust W.P. Carey who purchased it in 1995 for $95 million. AMD’s current lease ends in December 2018 and has two 10-year renewal options.

AMD is likely looking to save some cash by moving to a smaller facility. According to its 2016 business license, AMD has 559 employees in Sunnyvale. The company has operated in the California city since 1977.

Sources say AMD is in the market for a facility with between 175,000 and 225,000 square feet of space. The company reportedly wants to stay in Silicon Valley.

AMD finished last week with a bang as its stock value soared on news that it had licensed its x86 chip technology to a Chinese consortium of public and private companies.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/64568-amd-preparing-vacate-sunnyvale-headquarters-sources.html

 

[MoeJoe]

The rent is just ... " too damn high " !

 

[scrable]

Even the companies are getting priced out of this area...

 

[Uncle Al]

The allure of Silicon Valley may finally be dropping and AMD is smart to look for smaller and cheaper digs. In my business I have spent the past 5 years moving a number of different companies and their HQ's under the same requirements. Surprisingly, the South seems to be one of the more choice locations with lower taxes and good comparative night life. Who knows "the South may rise again" might be the new corporate battle cry .....

 

[psycros]

Might as well more their HQ to China at this point. AMD has sold out to the commies so they can suck it. Even at identical price points Intel is better now. Only AMD's video cards are worth owning, and ONLY the top end products.

 

[oldikes]

Might as well more their HQ to China at this point. AMD has sold out to the commies so they can suck it. Even at identical price points Intel is better now. Only AMD's video cards are worth owning, and ONLY the top end products.

Amd makes other products apart from desktop CPUs and GPUs...

 

[Puiu]

Might as well more their HQ to China at this point. AMD has sold out to the commies so they can suck it. Even at identical price points Intel is better now. Only AMD's video cards are worth owning, and ONLY the top end products.

and yet intel just can't catch a break in the console market

 

[cliffordcooley]

Hey @captaincranky - Look they're tired of dealing with the lawn care, so they are moving out.

 

[captaincranky]

Hey @captaincranky - Look they're tired of dealing with the lawn care, so they are moving out.

Well, you know what they say, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the world". (That assumes of course that they've considered China as a new base of operations).

OTOH, moving to "flat" Tejas, virtually assures that thousands of illegals will trample the grass as they move hacia el norte, and again, they can ignore lawn care.

In parts of Texas, tumbleweeds are quite common. Oh sure, some would consider them a nuisance, but if you ignore them long enough, they'll simply blow away. Again reducing the need to grounds maintenance personnel .

 

[cartera]

The allure of Silicon Valley may finally be dropping and AMD is smart to look for smaller and cheaper digs. In my business I have spent the past 5 years moving a number of different companies and their HQ's under the same requirements. Surprisingly, the South seems to be one of the more choice locations with lower taxes and good comparative night life. Who knows "the South may rise again" might be the new corporate battle cry .....

Aren't lots of tech companies popping up around Texas these days?

 

[janehamber]

How long will companies in Silicon Valley pay these absurdly inflated rents? How long will the tech workers of Silicon continue to pay ludicrous rents for box cars called apartments and ludicrous prices for second rate homes? It's just a matter of time before tech companies and tech workers move to other affordable venues on the planet.

 

[cartera]

How long will companies in Silicon Valley pay these absurdly inflated rents? How long will the tech workers of Silicon continue to pay ludicrous rents for box cars called apartments and ludicrous prices for second rate homes? It's just a matter of time before tech companies and tech workers move to other affordable venues on the planet.

Have you been to London? People will pay, and will continue too as ridiculous as it may seem.

 

[mailpup]

Aren't lots of tech companies popping up around Texas these days?

Not just tech companies. For example, Toyota is moving its national headquarters from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas.

 

[jeremy28]

Irving company? Jesus christ, get it right. It's the Irvine Company. Half the info in this article is off.

 

[captaincranky]

How long will companies in Silicon Valley pay these absurdly inflated rents? How long will the tech workers of Silicon continue to pay ludicrous rents for box cars called apartments and ludicrous prices for second rate homes? It's just a matter of time before tech companies and tech workers move to other affordable venues on the planet.

Right. But, the trouble with that reasoning is, what's to stop the places they move to from becoming just as expensive as the ones they've left?

Real estate is, as they say, "location, location, location". And it's always cheap when there's nobody else around.

 

[Jonathan12]

Ok say AMD moves, & the NY firm sells it or builds lots of apartment complexes on the 35 acres. Where are the people going to work to pay the rent? I'd say keep the jobs, and build the apartments.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Hey @captaincranky - Look they're tired of dealing with the lawn care, so they are moving out.

Well, you know what they say, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the world". (That assumes of course that they've considered China as a new base of operations).

OTOH, moving to "flat" Tejas, virtually assures that thousands of illegals will trample the grass as they move hacia el norte, and again, they can ignore lawn care.

In parts of Texas, tumbleweeds are quite common. Oh sure, some would consider them a nuisance, but if you ignore them long enough, they'll simply blow away. Again reducing the need to grounds maintenance personnel .

Whats wrong with moving their base of operations to a tenement or project in Queens? They should be able to save a buck or two.

 

[captaincranky]

Whats wrong with moving their base of operations to a tenement or project in Queens? They should be able to save a buck or two.

What's wrong, you ask? Well mostly, the local developers would tag it as, "gentrification", and the price of a 3rd floor walk up with bedbugs and cockroaches would soar to maybe $3000.00 a month, (or so).

More importantly, all their employees would likely be hooked on crack or smack by the end of the 1st year, while the slaves would be heavily draped in gold chains as Thomas Moore predicted. (Not to mention the "grill work"). Then too, much of the profit from the enhanced drug trade, would lead to a neighborhood full of Acuras with double 18" sub-woofers.

 

[captaincranky]

Irving company? Jesus christ, get it right. It's the Irvine Company. Half the info in this article is off.

Yes but, a lot more than half of us don't care, so that makes it a wash...

 

[turismozilla]

Who knows "the South may rise again" might be the new corporate battle cry .....

Speculative pricing, it always kills a good thing.

 

[Mandark]

Might as well more their HQ to China at this point. AMD has sold out to the commies so they can suck it. Even at identical price points Intel is better now. Only AMD's video cards are worth owning, and ONLY the top end products.

I feel the same way. They always short-change the user to 'save money' (a few cents). They are a good form of competition though.

 

[robb213]

The allure of Silicon Valley may finally be dropping and AMD is smart to look for smaller and cheaper digs. In my business I have spent the past 5 years moving a number of different companies and their HQ's under the same requirements. Surprisingly, the South seems to be one of the more choice locations with lower taxes and good comparative night life. Who knows "the South may rise again" might be the new corporate battle cry .....

Aren't lots of tech companies popping up around Texas these days?

And North Carolina too; was just in Raleigh the past month and it's still booming there from what I saw, especially construction wise. Afaik North Dakota had a run going for itself as well but I'm not sure if it's still considered a desire state to do business in anymore.

 

[SofaKingCool1]

Might as well more their HQ to China at this point. AMD has sold out to the commies so they can suck it. Even at identical price points Intel is better now. Only AMD's video cards are worth owning, and ONLY the top end products.

and yet intel just can't catch a break in the console market

You apparently know little about the console market..console suppliers sell commoditized chips and graphics to the console market, are perpetually squeezed by the console makers, and make little to no money on them. The console makers at least get revenue from their games...the component suppliers, not so much.

In fact, Intel consciously chose NOT to continue in the XBox many years ago, when they were the sole CPU supplier for Mr Softy.

 

[Puiu]

You apparently know little about the console market..console suppliers sell commoditized chips and graphics to the console market, are perpetually squeezed by the console makers, and make little to no money on them. The console makers at least get revenue from their games...the component suppliers, not so much.

In fact, Intel consciously chose NOT to continue in the XBox many years ago, when they were the sole CPU supplier for Mr Softy.

don't confuse it with what it was many years ago. we already know AMD made a killing from this and it seems they will continue to have their chips used in future consoles.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

What's wrong, you ask? Well mostly, the local developers would tag it as, "gentrification", and the price of a 3rd floor walk up with bedbugs and cockroaches would soar to maybe $3000.00 a month, (or so).

More importantly, all their employees would likely be hooked on crack or smack by the end of the 1st year, while the slaves would be heavily draped in gold chains as Thomas Moore predicted. (Not to mention the "grill work"). Then too, much of the profit from the enhanced drug trade, would lead to a neighborhood full of Acuras with double 18" sub-woofers.

It sounds good (including the 2x18" subs)