XPost: comp.internet.services.google, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, talk.politics.guns   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: losers@google.com   
      
   Google's long-planned 80-acre San Jose campus may be on hold, at least for   
   now. CNBC sources say the Alphabet brand has halted construction of its   
   Downtown West facility after an initial demolition phase. The company   
   reportedly "gutted" the campus development team as part of its large-scale   
   layoffs in January, and froze construction with no word to contractors on   
   when it might resume.   
      
   In a statement to Engadget, a representative says the firm wants its   
   office space to reflect the "future needs" of the business, hybrid workers   
   and the community. Google is still determining "how to best move forward"   
   with the San Jose campus but is "committed" to long-term development in   
   San Jose, the spokesperson adds.   
      
   Google spent years negotiating and designing Downtown West, and received   
   approval in 2021 after promising concessions that include 15,000 housing   
   units across Silicon Valley, $200 million in community support (such as   
   helping displaced businesses) and devoting more than half the campus to   
   public uses. Construction was supposed to start in earnest later this year   
   and take 10 to 30 years. Critics objected to the elimination or relocation   
   of well-known businesses and landmarks, but the potential economic boon   
   for the city was such that Governor Gavin Newsom touted the deal as   
   playing a major role in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.   
      
   However, it's the pandemic that ultimately put Google in its current   
   position. The company has hired aggressively in previous years (its ranks   
   have grown 20 percent since 2017), but is laying off around 12,000   
   employees this year as would-be ad and cloud service customers tighten   
   their budgets. Google is also adopting a hybrid work strategy that lets   
   staff stay home some of the time. Simply put, there's not as much need for   
   offices as there was before.   
      
   This doesn't mean Downtown West is dead. The potentially decades-long   
   timeframe for the project gives Google some flexibility. However, the   
   uncertainty leaves San Jose in an awkward state. Google has cleared out a   
   large area, but isn't building the campus that's supposed to bring jobs   
   and economic activity to the region.   
      
      
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)