Apple Rumored to Be Pursuing Massive Office Expansion in Seattle Area

[MacRumors]

Apple might be looking to further expand its presence in Seattle, Washington following its acquisition of Seattle-based machine learning and artificial intelligence startup Turi. The news comes from reports of a "large California company" looking to purchase a big piece of office space in the city, with most believing that it's Apple (via GeekWire).

Last week, Apple paid $200 million to acquire Turi, which bills itself as a "machine learning platform for developers and data scientists," helping them build apps using the capabilities of artificial intelligence. Although the company's acquisition of Turi helps justify the rumor of Apple's expansion in Seattle, nothing has yet been solidified and, according to GeekWire, the Seattle rumors "pre-date Apple's acquisition of Turi."

Specifically, the "large California company" is looking at properties in downtown Bellevue, particularly in the Schnitzer West's 16-story Centre 425 building. Schnitzer West is under construction, with an opening expected towards the end of 2016, so if Apple makes a move it could begin increasing its Seattle presence by the end of the year.

At this point, we've been unable to confirm exactly where Apple may be headed in the Seattle area, but multiple sources say the footprint could be huge, several hundred thousand square feet. The rumors we've heard also pre-date Apple's acquisition of Turi.

If a deal in downtown Bellevue were to go through it would be a big shot in the arm for an area that was looking at some sizable office vacancy over the next few years. In addition to the office buildings set to open soon, Expedia is leaving downtown Bellevue for Seattle in 2019. But the Valve and Salesforce deals, combined with a possible Apple move, would show that there are plenty of companies ready to step up to fill the void.

Last summer, Apple leased 30,000 square feet of office space in the Two Union Square skyscraper in downtown Seattle, which housed 120 to 200 employees, based on standard corporate leasing ratios. The work spaces now being looked at are over ten times as big, with the Bellevue location housing 354,000 square feet of office space, with the potential for approximately 1,400 to 2,300 employees. Apple originally expanded into Seattle in 2014 with a small team of more than 30 workers stationed in the city.

Article Link: Apple Rumored to Be Pursuing Massive Office Expansion in Seattle Area

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Apple sure is expanding its global footprint one city at a time and I'm glad to see some of them are here in the United States too. I wonder if their acquisition of Turi would be for use in Siri and/or a potential Apple car too as well as potential features in macOS.

 

[kidaje]

Hmm, for what projects are Apple using all these new employees?

They must be working on other things then a car.

 

[PowerBook-G5]

Hmm, for what projects are Apple using all these new employees?

They must be working on other things then a car.

Watch bands and witty Siri replies, obviously.

 

[Zirel]

Redmond, pack your photocopiers and other office equipment.

Nadela has been laying off so many people from Microsoft, Apple probably can pick up lots of good people there.

 

[2457282]

Isn't Seattle where MS is headquartered? Maybe Apple wants to buy MS? LOL

 

[Zirel]

Watch bands and witty Siri replies, obviously.

Old joke is old.

 

[djcerla]

SEMI PA: TURI = CHIP DESIGN : AI

 

[killawat]

Cool, a lot of cloud smart people in that area.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Isn't Seattle where MS is headquartered? Maybe Apple wants to buy MS? LOL

MS is in a suburb of Seattle. MS does have office space in Seattle.
[doublepost=1471023905][/doublepost]

Nadela has been laying off so many people from Microsoft, Apple probably can pick up lots of good people there.

Yep, there are a lot of people being layed off that worked at MS and Boeing.

 

[seatton]

I am excited since this place is only a block from my office.

 

[btrach144]

Hmm this is right down the street from me. Hmmmm

 

[CarlJ]

Hmm this is right down the street from me. Hmmmm

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT APPLE WAS THINKING!

 

[Loco Emperor]

Hmm stepping into Microsoft boro. Interesting

 

[hammondnav]

Hmm, for what projects are Apple using all these new employees?

I've been hearing that Apple has been pinging Google Maps personnel. For those unfamiliar with the area, Google has an office about 10 miles from Apple's expected location, focusing mostly on Maps. Maybe Apple is looking to make its Maps actually usable!

 

[btrach144]

I've been hearing that Apple has been pinging Google Maps personnel. For those unfamiliar with the area, Google has an office about 10 miles from Apple's expected location, focusing mostly on Maps. Maybe Apple is looking to make its Maps actually usable!

Hmm, for what projects are Apple using all these new employees?

They must be working on other things then a car.

The article from last year was about apple buying a small cloud company that was already based in Seattle. The article now claims Apple bought another Seattle company called Turi, which is a machine learning company.

While the article tries to make it seem like Apple is going to be hiring, they are more than likely merging their two newly bought companies into a single office space that meets their corporate requirements for office spaces such as security, energy use, and location. Things small start up companies typically don't have the money to worry about.

Summary: I'm not convinced Apple is going on a hiring spree, possibly just relocating their newly bought employees. The article should have examined the two start up companies original offices and do the math to see if they are truly hiring on a larger scale.

With that being said, many employees working at start up companies leave when they are bought out by large corporate conglomerates due to not liking the cultural changes and the feel of their job changing from small company to large corporate employer. So maybe their will be openings?

 

[jonnysods]

Just give me a dang MacBook Pro!!

 

[CarlJ]

Just give me a dang MacBook Pro!!

Your problem is solved! The MacBook Pro is available for purchase at any Apple Store, as well as online at apple.com.

 

[appledefenceforce]

Watch bands and witty Siri replies, obviously.

How could Siri ever compete with you?

 

[iPadPublisher]

I've been hearing that Apple has been pinging Google Maps personnel. For those unfamiliar with the area, Google has an office about 10 miles from Apple's expected location, focusing mostly on Maps. Maybe Apple is looking to make its Maps actually usable!

I was thinking the same thing. This could be (mostly) a major Maps play. Lots of talent in Redmond/Seattle/Bellevue ... so it could be a seed towards bigger things beyond the obvious, too.

 

[ShinySteelRobot]

Specifically, the "large California company" is looking at properties in downtown Bellevue, particularly in the Schnitzer West's 16-story Centre 425 building.

Interesting move. Currently Microsoft is the largest employer in Bellevue. Perhaps not coincidentally, given Microsoft's H-1B hiring practices, Bellevue's population is now roughly 1/3 Asian (East Asian and South Asian/Indian), so there's a true multicultural feel to the area. The "big city feel" and the cultural demographics here are radically different since I first moved here 20 years ago when it was mostly a bedroom community for Seattle.
[doublepost=1471069320][/doublepost]

Hmm this is right down the street from me. Hmmmm

Bill Gates, is that you?

 

[pat500000]

In other news "Apple had been spreading themselves like peanut butter and jelly."