Microsoft has said it will spend $2 billion on new technologies to combat the threat of Google, Yahoo!, eBay and the like. Which to shareholders means operating expense, to Google means let's throw a hundred products against the wall to see what sticks, and to college grads means money money money. But to Redmond, Washington?
It means cranes, concrete, and an "eye-popping" real estate market. A company headquarters that now employs 30,000 people could add 12,000 in the next two years -- 3.1 million square feet, or 14 new buildings to be constructed. As the New York Times points out, for Seattle "those are staggering numbers."
Seattle may be happy, or not. On one hand, the unemployment rate will certainly decrease if Microsoft is going new-hire crazy. On the other hand, the city is already clogged with traffic and real estate prices are ridiculous for the relatively small market.
[Photo OsakaSteve]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-05-2006 @ 4:33PM
Kim said...
People are always wanting to move where there are no other people, then when other people start moving in the first-comers want out. But people who complain of traffic and crowding still want jobs, services, conveniences and luxuries. "Out of sight, out of mind," I guess. I admit to grousing about crowded conditions. I don't want to live in the city because it's noisy, traffic is congested, and that all adds up to a lot of pollution. But yet I sure do like my computer and all the amenities of a modern life - none of which would be possible without the workers who make it happen. Those workers have to live somewhere. Their work has to be done somewhere. Since I'm aware of the complexities, I would be disingenuous to snark too much about the evils of Microsoft. Those who snark unawares are simply naive.