2 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 20, 2005
ERO UMMEGoogle may build in A2
STAR FSME
4
Corporation is looking for
a suitable location for its new
technologv center
By Muhammad Saleem Khan
Daily Staff Reporter
Search engine giant Google is considering Ann
Arbor as a possible place to build a new 200,000
square foot technology center.
While Steve Langdon, spokesman for Google,
would not confirm the rumors, local realtors have
said that a real estate broker working on behalf of
Google has been searching for potential real estate in
the city. The company is also considering building its
new center in Boston or Boulder, Colo.
Google's newest location would employ up to 1,000
new salaried employees and be about as large as the
Life Sciences Institute. A local realtor with an Ann
Arbor-based realty company has said that leasing a
200,000 sq. ft building would be impossible in the
city because of the lack of vacancy in the area, and as
a result new construction would be inevitable.
Cities targeted are ones with a large population of
recent college graduates between the ages of 22 and
30 and cities must have nearby public transportation
and a rich urban atmosphere. Among the factors that
must be considered, according to Google's website, is
a 24 hr doughnut shop in close proximity.
While Boston might have more openings in real
estate, Larry Page, co-founder of Google, has a strong
connection with Ann Arbor - his engineering degree
from the University. After graduating the University
in 1995, he headed to Stanford University for gradu-
ate studies. It was during his time at Stanford that he
met co-founder Sergey Brin and together they found-
ed Google in 1998. Google's headquarters, known as
Googleplex, is based in Mountain View, Calif.
A local realtor with an Ann Arbor-based realty
company said Google is looking for more space for
their project of digitizing the entire 7 million books
of the library's collection. The project would require
about 40,000 sq. feet of additional space.
John Wilkin, associate librarian for the University,
said that Google has been working with the Univer-
sity on this project since last July and Google hopes
to be finish digitizing in roughly six years. However,
Google has hinted that it might finish faster than the
time given.
"It may be about six years, but it's entirely possible
for them to do it faster. They are trying to figure out
the right strategy to do it faster," Wilkin said.
While Wilkin has no information about whether
Google has expressed intent to build its new technol-
ogy center in the Ann Arbor area, Wilkin personally
believes that Google would need to expand in Ann
Arbor if it wants order to finish the digitizing project
in fewer than six years with their current project of
digitizing the library's collection. Currently Google
is digitizing the 2.5 million books of the 7 million the
library stores. Google's net worth is estimated to be
81 billion dollars. The company first offered its ini-
tial public offering of stock in mid August of last year
at a price of $100.34. Last Friday their shares closed
at a price of $280.30.
G SIGN SAYS ITALL.
One Month FREE Rent
$0 Deposit Special
Pius $50.00 off
monthly rent
Move in b
iune 30, 2005*
1819 Willowtree Lane
Ann Arbor, MI
769-1313
,ss . 'tslclgpalodrkwes.'ou t
I
I
Thank you, Ann Arbor, for voting us
BEST CD STORE
- 2005 Michigan Daily Reader's Poll
WITH THIS AD RECEIVE 10/e
OFF STOREWIDE VINYL & CDs
Not combined with any other specal offers Offer expires
October 311, 2005 Items already sale priced exempt
THE BEST IN NEW
COMPACT DISCS & VINYL
ARTS Evan McGarvey, Managing Editor
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Jeffrey Bloomer
STAFF: Zach Borden, Cyril Cordor, Abby Frackman, Andrew M, Gaerig, Chris Gaerig, Alexandra M Jones, Punit Mattoo, Gabe Rivin, Imran Syed
PHOTO Trevor Campbell, Managing Editor
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Mike Hulsebus
STAFF: Forest Casey, Alexander Dziadosz, Tommaso Gomez, Ali Olsen, Eugene Robertson. Peter Schottenfels, David Tuman
GR APHIC DESIGN STAFF: Matthew Daniels, Gervis Menzies, Lindsey Ungar
ONLINE Eston Bond, Managing Editor
STAFF: Chelsea Trull
DISPLAY SALES Emily Cipriano, Manager
STAFF: Katie Baker Adam Gross, Kamia Pande, George Saba, Benjamin Schottenfels. Nissa Vandre
CLASSIFIED SALES Ryan Van Tassel, Manager
PRODUCTION Phyllis Wong, Manager
SPECIAL PAGE Jessica Sachs, Manager
4
14