Apple Employees Begin Working From Massive New Silicon Valley Campus

SILICON VALLEY, CA -- In a process expected to continue for several months, Apple employees are moving into their new digs at Apple Park in Cupertino, where the company’s new 175-acre campus is surrounded by a ring-shaped, glass-paneled, 2.8 million-square-foot main building.

Apple Spokeswoman Semonti Stephens confirmed in an email to Patch Thursday that employees have started working from Apple Park in April as was planned.

The process of moving more than 12,000 people will take more than six months, and construction of the buildings and parklands envisioned by Steve Jobs was scheduled to continue through the summer, the company previously stated in a news release.

Construction of the massive project also known as Apple Campus 2 -- or AC2 -- began in 2014. Among the buildings still receiving finishing touches is the Steve Jobs Theater, a 1,000-seat auditorium situated on one of the highest points within Apple Park. The venue named in his honor was expected to open at some point this year.

“Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come. The workspaces and parklands are designed to inspire our team as well as benefit the environment. We’ve achieved one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world and the campus will run entirely on renewable energy.”

Apple says the public will also be able to enjoy Apple Park because in addition to multiple amenities for employees, the campus will include a visitor center with an Apple Store and a cafe.

As the gargantuan project that some have nicknamed "the spaceship" nears completion, forever changing the landscape for those in the local communities of Cupertino and Sunnyvale, a New York Times article published this week examines some of the other changes brought on by Apple Park. The article cites development that has been spurred on by the project, increases seen in property values in the adjacent neighborhoods, and how residents have dealt with curious onlookers and construction impacts. To read the NYT article, click here.

Main image via oxysasha/YouTube