The Cupertino city council on Tuesday night unanimously approved Apple's plans to build a massive new campus just across the highway from the company's current headquarters. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs personally pitched the idea of a new facility to the council just months before his death in 2011.
Much of the session, according to the San Jose Mercury News, was spent going over environmental and other impacts the project poses. Councilmember Mark Santoro said the project will certainly cause traffic issues but he was happy to hear Apple would be working with them to solve such problems. To help alleviate some of the traffic congestion, Apple vowed that at least 34 percent of employees at the new campus would use public transit or Apple's shuttle busses to commute to and from work.
The 176-acre complex will have room for up to 14,200 employees and will be encompassed by green space. It was designed with the help of architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster + Partners.
There was little doubt that the council would approve the plans as having a massive company like Apple leave town to build elsewhere would be a huge blow to the local economy. With the approval, the council is required to meet one last time for a final vote.
That's slated to take place on November 15 but for all practical purposes, the project has been given the green light. Apple said they plan to begin demolishing existing buildings on the new campus site by the end of the year.