Although the new crown epidemic in the United States has eased with the increase in vaccination rates, many companies and companies led by large technology companies still choose to “work from home” rather than “return to the office”.
But on September 21, Google (Google) unexpectedly announced a news-the company plans to spend $2.1 billion to buy an entire office building in New York City early next year!
According to reports, the building, named St. John’s Terminal Building, is located at 550 Washington Street in the Hudson Yards business district in Manhattan, New York City, and plans to fully open the office building in mid-2023.
According to real estate analyst Real Capital Analytics, this is the highest purchase of office real estate in the United States since the global new crown outbreak.
Three years ago, Google had signed a contract to lease the office building, and stated a “purchase option” in the lease agreement, and now Google is ready to exercise this option to acquire the office building. Three years ago, everyone thought: Google is going to enter New York City, and it will definitely bring a lot of influence to the city~
St. John’s Terminal Building is an industrial-era landmark in New York City, but it is transforming into a cutting-edge digital and technology venue.
Affected by the new crown epidemic, most of Google’s employees are still working from home, and there is no urgent need for office space.
At the end of August this year, Google’s current CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the plan for employees to return to the office would be postponed until January 10, 2022. Even after reopening buildings, the company expects to split its workforce into two cohorts — those who continue to work from home and those who return to the office.
Professional analysts say that Google’s action is a big signal of the “Back-to-office Movement”, and New York City’s economy is slowly recovering from the shock brought about by the epidemic.
“From the current situation, the thinking is very clear – employees will eventually return to the office to work, it is just a matter of time.”
Google’s move reaffirms the company’s ambitions to expand into America’s largest city. Google has been in New York City for 20 years, and within the next few years, Google will also increase the number of employees it employs in New York City from the current 12,000 to 14,000. It may also mean an increase in job opportunities for graduates or job seekers.
The St. John’s Terminal Building will be a centerpiece of Google’s Manhattan office campus, said Ruth Porat, chief financial officer of Google’s parent company Alphabet.
