Google Opens New Kirkland Campus, Previews $100M Washington Investment

KIRKLAND, WA — Thursday brought the grand opening for the first phase of Google's new "Kirkland Urban" campus, which will eventually occupy four buildings and 760,000 square feet in the heart of the city.

The first phase brought the North and Central buildings into operation, with the South building on track to open in 2023, followed by the East tower in 2025. The tech giant is also in the planning phase to construct a second campus at the former Lee Johnson Chevrolet dealership.

The large-scale Eastside expansion comes as Google pours nearly $10 million into setting up new offices and data centers across the United States, which the company said will create 12,000 new jobs by the end of 2022. Puget Sound already boasts Google's second-largest engineering workforce, behind only California's Bay Area, with 7,200 employees working in Seattle's South Lake Union and Fremont neighborhoods, and Kirkland's 6th Street and Kirkland Urban offices.

Thursday's grand opening was celebrated by Gov. Jay Inslee and Rep. Suzan DelBene, who visited the site and delivered brief remarks at the event.

"Google's ongoing investment in Seattle and Kirkland demonstrates that Washington continues to be one of the best places in the nation to live and work," Inslee said. "I commend their commitment to operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy in all their data centers and campuses worldwide by 2030. Google's new Kirkland Urban campus is on-track for LEED Gold certification and provides another example of how employers can bolster Washington's position as a center for the nation's top talent and a place where sustainability is prioritized."

Google expects to open another 330,000 square feet of office space in Seattle later this year at "Block 38," bringing the company's Emerald City footprint to five buildings. In a news release, Google estimated its expansion plans would total a $100 million investment in the state by the end of the year.