Social media giant Facebook is in the process of constructing its Menlo Park, California, campus and has been buying up land all around its main West Campus building, MPK 20, and submitting a hefty amount of construction permits—about $900 million worth.
The Campus
Permit database watchdog Buildzoom recently reported on Facebook’s price tag, noting that, including the initial West Campus building, Facebook is well over the $1 billion mark. Once all of the buildings are constructed, the company will employ more people in the area than there are residents.
Much of the campus is designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, in conjunction with California-based Level 10 Construction, including buildings MPK 21 and MPK 22, the permits for which are coming in at $300 million and $303 million, respectively. Those permits have set a new record for the area for the most expensive permits.
According to Buildzoom, Facebook has lined up more than $750 million construction for projects that include:
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MPK 21, a Gehry-designed extension of MPK 20 ($300 million);
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MPK 22, a Gehry-designed four-story office building ($303 million);
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An eight-story parking structure ($73 million);
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MPK 23, a renovated warehouse (permitted in 2015, $27.3 million); and
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A sky bridge to connect MPK 21 to MPK 22.
The entire project, according to Local 10, is targeting a LEED Gold certification. Some design elements include:
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MPK 21 will feature a single-level office above an at-grade parking area, totaling 523,000 square feet. The building will also contain a green roof and a 2,000-seat event space.
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MPK 22 will contain 461,000 square feet of office and rooftop space, featuring Gehry’s standard mesh material surrounding the roof and balconies. MPK 22 will also contain an atrium that’s slated to run the entire length of the building, flanked by conference rooms and offices.
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The parking garage is designed by Watry Design Inc. and will have seven floors above ground and one partially subterranean level. Four bridges will link to each floor of MPK 22 to the garage.
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MPK 23 was renovated in 2015 into an open floor plan of 180,000 square feet of space.
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Linking MPK 21 and 22 will be a yellow pedestrian sky bridge. The deconstructionist-style span will also provide access to the marsh side of the Bayfront Expressway.
In addition to these highlights, there are reported plans for MPK 24-29—which has included nearly $200 million more in piecemeal upgrades and permits regarding existing commercial buildings—and a hotel.
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