MOUNTAIN VIEW — Google is pursuing the sale of 40 acres of its Mountain View properties for possible housing developments as the search giant seeks to operate more efficiently, the company confirmed.
Spokesperson Ryan Lamont said the tech company is exploring the sale of its Middlefield Park site, a mixed-use neighborhood Google had secured approval for.
“We continue to focus on investing in real estate efficiently to meet the needs of our hybrid workforce and business,” Lamont said.
Google said it is considering potential buyers with the expertise and resources to build residential housing, according to Lamont.
“A shift to housing at Middlefield Park would be a plus both for the region and for Google,” said Tim Bajarin, president of Campbell-based Creative Strategies, which tracks the tech industry.
City officials have already approved 1,900 homes with 2.4 acres of land to be dedicated to the city of Mountain View for the development of up to 380 units of affordable housing. The development plan includes 50,000 square feet of active ground-floor uses such as shops, restaurants and community spaces.
Middlefield Park also was expected to produce 1.3 million square feet of office space.
Plans for the neighborhood envision the removal of 14 existing industrial, office and research buildings to clear the way for the new village.
“Right-sizing is the correct way to look at this,” Bajarin said. “These sales have more to do with Google’s strategic direction. These Mountain View buildings in particular were important at the height of Silicon Valley’s tech boom. But right now these buildings are not as strategic for Google.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the roster of potential buyers for Middlefield Park consists of one company or multiple companies with residential development expertise. It also isn’t certain whether Google would sell all the sites to one buyer or multiple new owners.
None of the Middlefield Park sales maneuvers signal a retreat by Google from its home territories.
“We remain committed to our long-term presence in Mountain View,” Lamont said.
Changing times are nothing new for companies like Google and others in Silicon Valley.
“The tech industry is dynamic,” Bajarin said. “It ebbs and flows. The tech industry can carry out layoffs at the same time it’s hiring a lot of people.”
The early months of 2025 produced a rough start for the industry in the Bay Area. Companies slashed a net total of 8,700 positions, according to a Beacon Economics estimate.
Employers chopped 6,900 jobs in January and another 1,800 in February.
“All bets are off for the whole tech industry,” said Russell Hancock, president of San Jose-based think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley. “Google and other tech companies have become more cautious and incremental.”
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, some businesses had to rethink how they would operate and expand. Google was no exception, according to Hancock.
“Google is in business to change the world, create cutting-edge profits, make money,” Hancock said. “Google also had a more expansive view of their enterprise. They wanted to build communities, create neighborhoods, build housing and be a company that would integrate all of those things.
“The pandemic changed everything. It threw a wrench into everything. It’s a different world on the other side of this. If you are running any company, you look at the world completely differently.”
Now, for companies like Google, the rise of artificial intelligence is having an effect on present and future operations.
“Artificial intelligence is real, investments are happening, AI profitability is there, and the tech’s efficiency kick is paying off,” Hancock said.