Google looks to sell Middlefield Park property in Mountain View

In an abrupt turnabout, Google is looking to pull back on its commitment to build high-density housing in an area of Mountain View slated for major residential growth.

The tech behemoth confirmed to the Voice that it is exploring the sale of Middlefield Park, a 40-acre site in the East Whisman area – a part of the city that consists mostly of low-density office buildings and surface parking. The interest in selling the property was first reported by the Mercury News last week.

Three years ago, the Mountain View City Council approved Google’s plan to build 1,900 new homes at Middlefield Park that included a 2.4-acre land dedication to the city for affordable housing. The project also proposed 1.3 million square feet of office space, roughly doubling the amount of offices on the site.

Now it is looking more likely that the redevelopment will not come to fruition as planned, at least under the direction of Google.

The tech company is considering potential buyers with expertise and resources to build housing at Middlefield Park, but declined to provide more details about it.

“We continue to focus on investing in real estate efficiently to meet the needs of our hybrid workforce and business,” said Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont in an emailed statement. “We remain committed to our long-term presence in Mountain View,” he added.

Mountain View spokesperson Lenka Wright confirmed that Google had conveyed its intentions to sell off Middlefield Park but was keeping its plans for residential development on the table.

“The city is aware that Google is in an offering process with multiple potential residential developer purchasers for its Middlefield Park property,” Wright said in an emailed statement. “Google has assured the city of its commitment to the housing planned for Middlefield Park in any transaction that may occur for the property.”

Planning for housing and office growth

The stakes are high for the city, as it rezoned East Whisman, an area of about 400 acres, not that long ago in 2019. The goal was to put in more housing to create a better balance of jobs to homes, in what largely has been a sprawling office park.

The city’s blueprint for East Whisman allows for 5,000 new homes – a big jump from what existed before, which was zero – and 2.3 million square feet of additional office space. The redevelopment at Middlefield Park would have contributed to about a third of the housing growth contemplated for East Whisman.

ut even early on, there were signs that the uptake could be challenging for Google.

When Google originally pitched Middlefield Park to the City Council, it was working with Lendlease, an Australian-based real estate developer. A year later, Google announced that it was parting ways with Lendlease, but maintained it was still committed to delivering housing in the Bay Area, including Mountain View.

At the time, Google said it was “broadening its relationships with developers and other capital partners to continue moving the Bay Area projects forward.”

Then in 2024, the tech giant quietly terminated a mega office development in the North Bayshore that would have greatly expanded its footprint in the city. Dubbed the Google Landings, the project spanned 41-acres and proposed a series of five-story office buildings along Highway 101.

Google explained its retreat from the Landings project as an economic decision, similar to the reasons it gave for the Middlefield Park project. Google said it was “taking a measured approach” to its real estate investments, looking to ensure that it “matched the current and future needs of our workforce, business and communities.”

The termination of the Landings project also left a substantial package of community benefits in limbo, including the withdrawal of major infrastructure improvements and creek and open space enhancements in the North Bayshore.

Similarly, it is unclear what will happen with the 2.4-acre land dedication that was proposed for the Middlefield Park project, as Google did not respond to questions about it. Google offered the land to the city as a site to build roughly 380 affordable units, which would help the Middlefield Park project meet its affordable housing requirements.

More rollbacks on the horizon?

The sell-off of Middlefield Park also leaves a bigger question of what is in store for other Google land holdings in Mountain View. In 2023, the City Council approved an even larger mega-development in North Bayshore, about three times the size of the Middlefield Park project.

Like East Whisman, North Bayshore was recently rezoned to check unfettered office growth and to allow for more dense housing of up to 9,850 residential units.

But even more so than East Whisman, a big share of the housing growth is tied to Google. The tech giant is planning to build 7,000 new homes, 3 million square feet of office space, restaurants and retail and 26 acres of parks and open space over the next 30 years.

The city has acknowledged that changing economic circumstances could alter or defer these plans, similar to what is happening at Middlefield Park.

“With the need for office space declining due to changes in workforce trends as a result of the pandemic, economic changes, and the increase in remote work, the city expects office development will be reduced or deferred,” Wright said.

“However, as with Middlefield Park, the city anticipates that residential will continue to move forward in North Bayshore,” Wright added.

This story originally appeared in the Mountain View Voice. Emily Margaretten joined the Mountain View Voice in 2023 as a reporter covering City Hall.