Google plans major expansion in New York City

Google is planning to expand its New York City office buildings to add space that could accommodate more than 12,000 new workers

While Amazon is still deciding where it's next headquarters will be, Google is expanding to Manhattan's West Village

By Anna Harstedt, Metro

Google is planning to expand its New York City office buildings to add space that could accommodate more than 12,000 new workers, according to a report from The WallStreet Journal.

If so, the move would bring a total of 20,000 jobs to the city by 2022.

The tech giant is planning to either lease or buy a large office building in the West Village and also expand their office in Chelsea Market. The planned office is a 1.3 million-square-foot building that would accommodate 8,500 workers while the Chelsea Market expansion of 300,000 square feet, would accommodate 3,500 workers.

A Google spokeswoman didn’t want to comment on the office expansion in the West Village but said Google plans to expand the office in Chelsea Market to include a community space, winter garden and water taxi landing open to the public. The company announced in March that they bought the Manhattan Chelsea Market for $2.4 billion but agreed to keep leasing space in the building to food and retail tenants.

Both Google and Amazon expanding

This comes alongside the expected investment by Amazon, who is planning to bring 25,000 employees to Long Island City, Queens in New York.  The company announced last year that they were searching for a location to a second headquarters that would eventually hold 50,000 workers. They plan to split its second headquarters evenly between two locations rather than picking one city, halving the potential number of jobs in each city. New York is one of a few finalists being considered by Amazon, along with Dallas and Crystal City in northern Virginia.

“Reports of Google’s planned expansion in New York and Amazon potentially choosing Queens as a location for HQ2 confirm that New York City is unmatched in its ability to help innovative companies succeed,” Julie Samuels, Executive Director of Tech:NYC, said in a statement. “Our diverse workforce spurs innovation, and New York’s position as the global center for a broad range of industries creates an environment that boosts creative companies.”

The planned expansion of Google's New York City offices and the possibility of the city landing one of Amazon's headquarters could provide a boost to the area's tech industry, which its political leaders have long hoped to expand.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this week said that he hoped for Amazon to come to the city, stating that he would name himself "Amazon Cuomo."

Amazon is expected to announce its final decision soon.