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Sunnyvale OKs Yahoo! headquarters construction
By Sam Scott
In a move that came as no surprise to city insiders, the Sunnyvale City Council on Feb. 8 voted unanimously to allow internet giant, Yahoo! Inc., to build its headquarters in north Sunnyvale.
Before voting, the council lauded Yahoo and project developers Higgins Development for their plans. "They [Yahoo] have raised the bar to another level," Vice Mayor Jack Walker said. "I hope to see [similar behavior] from other corporate citizens."
The company's plans call for construction of five office buildings and a three-level parking garage on 34 acres at the corner of Mathilda and First Avenues. The company purchased the land from Lockheed last August.
City reports show Yahoo's planned four, and five, story buildings will house about 3,000 employees. The company employs about 1,000 individuals in Santa Clara.
Council members repeatedly complimented Yahoo's plans to lessen the development's expected traffic, and architectural and environmental by-products. Company officials said they are committed to having18 percent of the company's workforce commute by alternative transportation. The company also has agreed to provide public parking for access to nearby wetlands.
"It's a great project that goes well beyond our standard requirements," Councilman Jim Roberts said. His sentiment, echoed by other councilmembers, prompted Mayor Pat Vorreiter to jokingly dub the discussion a "love fest."
Bob Hutchison, vice-president of Higgins Development, called the council's approval a welcome end to months of hard work. He said work on the lay of the ground would begin immediately. Higgins says Yahoo will be moving into it's new headquarters this time next year.
Trudi Ryan, the city's planning officer, said the 3,000 jobs the city anticipates at Yahoo will create an estimated 9,000 support jobs. The city estimates it will receive more than $1 million in building fees and construction taxes and about $180,000 in property tax during a five year period.
According to city spokesman Dan Rich, the move could make Yahoo Sunnyvale's second biggest employer behind Lockheed.
Rather than emphasizing the financial benefits of its community presence, Yahoo officials underscored the civic advantages. Tim Koogle, the company's CEO and chairman, stressed to councilmembers the corporation's commitment to community.
"We will be a good corporate citizen," he said. "We try to play that role anywhere we're located."
At the time of the company's initial public offering five years ago, Yahoo's headquarters were located in Sunnyvale. Koogle said the company's rapid growth mandated their move to Santa Clara. "I never really wanted to move," he said.
Councilmembers said Koogle's presence at the meeting validated the company's claims of civic conscienceless.
"This certainly does show the corporate commitment [to the community] from the top down," Councilwoman Julia Miller said.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
