Although Microsoft already occupies an office in Silicon Valley, it has decided to expand its reach in the area, by purchasing 65 acres of land in San Jose, which is considered the economic center of the valley.
The site is located along State Route 237 between Alviso and Milpitas, and has been bought by Microsoft for $73.2 million. In the future, the area is expected to become a light industrial center, which would include a data center complex. At least that is what planning documents on file seem to indicate. The project, named ""237 Industrial Center", focuses upon a site which is primarily, a fallow farmland, and includes the possibility of a couple of development options; development of up to 1.2 million square feet of light industrial facilities, or development of a data center totaling up to 437,000 square feet and as much as 728,000 square feet of light industrial facilities.
According to the tech giant, the project will help in expanding its reach in cloud and internet technologies. To this effect, Christian Belady, General Manager of Microsoft Cloud Infrastructure and Operations, noted:
We continuously explore opportunities to meet the needs of a future based on cloud computing and internet services, so we’re thrilled to find a great one in the heart of Silicon Valley
San Jose Mayor, Sam Liccardo, has embraced Microsoft"s recent investment in San Jose, appreciating how the move will help in meeting the world"s rapidly increasing demand for cloud capacity. It is interesting to note that the area in question has already been under major development for the past few years, with the introduction of hotels, and a shopping center along the Highway 237, among other amenities.
Hopefully, projects like these will introduce many new job opportunities in the city, as major tech companies, like Microsoft, look to expand in the northern part of San Jose.
Source and image: The Mercury News