Google announced the most expensive purchase in the history of any office building in the United States: 2.1 billion dollars for an old construction in New York that will be recycled for the installation of offices.
The news was published by Google in his official blog.
Google currently rents part of the building, but has now decided to buy it.
It is the St. John’s Terminal building, in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Manhattan. According to the head of Google Finance, Ruth Porat, the building would serve as the base for a new campus in that city.
The agreement is a signal for the business world, because it means that Google is betting on the return to the post-pandemic covid-19 presence. Likewise, the novelty occurs when Alphabet has postponed its dates of return to the offices.
Google has told employees that they don’t need to return from the home office until January 2022.
Its CEO said a few weeks ago that he expects 20 percent of employees to continue telecommuting after the reopening.
Google, like other tech companies, has thrived during the pandemic, generating substantial income that is allowing them to invest in real estate and other initiatives.
This happened because consumers became even more dependent on Internet services during closures, including for study, work and entertainment.
This purchase adds to the presence that Google has in Manhattan.
The company announced a few months ago that it would invest $ 250 million to expand its workforce in New York from 12,000 to 14,000 employees.
Alphabet’s idea is to open headquarters at St. John’s Terminal in mid-2023.
When completed, it will be the company’s largest office outside of California, according to Porat. The campus will be approximately 158,000 square meters and will house Google’s sales teams and trade associations.
Alphabet expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2022.