Apple Park

Apple Facts

What, How and Where? - The Apple Park Memo(PDF, 367KB)

Archived Information

At its October 15, 2013 adjourned regular meeting, the Cupertino City Council approved the Apple Park project.

Most of the 175 acre area is located on the former Hewlett Packard (HP) campus and is bounded by I-280 to the south, Wolfe Road to the west, Homestead Road to the north and North Tantau Avenue to the east. The replacement and rebuild proposal includes:

  • Demolition of approximately 2.65 million square feet of existing office, research and development buildings;
  • Construction of:
  • An office, research and development building comprising approximately 2.8 million square feet;
  • A 1,000 seat corporate auditorium;
  • A corporate fitness center;
  • A central plant;
  • Research facilities comprising up to 600,000 square feet located east and west of Tantau Avenue between Pruneridge Ave and I-280;
  • Associated parking

The City's Review consisted of:

AC2 Rendering

Final Actions

At the October 15, 2013 City Council meeting, the Council took the following actions and conducted the first readings on associated ordinances:

  1. Adopted Resolution No. 13-082 approving the Certification of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and adoption of Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, Mitigation Measures (including adoption of Mitigation Measure TRANS-23 (Alternate) with minor text revisions and Mitigation Measure TRANS-27 (Second Alternate)), and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, EA-2011-12;
  2. Adopted Resolution No. 13-083 approving a General Plan Amendment, GPA-2011-03;
  3. Adopted Resolution No. 13-084 approving:
    • Development Permit to allow the demolition of approximately 2.66 million square feet of existing office, research and development buildings and the construction of 3.42 million square feet of office, research, and development buildings; 120,000 square feet (1,000 seat) corporate auditorium, 100,000 square feet corporate fitness center, and 25,000 square feet Valet Parking Reception uses; 92,000 square feet of utility plants; and associated parking facilities and ancillary buildings (such as security reception areas and landscape maintenance buildings) (DP-2011-04);
    • Use Permit to allow a corporate auditorium and fitness center at a new office, research and development campus (U-2011-11);
    • Architectural and Site Approval to allow a new 2.82 million square foot office, research and development building with 2,385 basement parking spaces and a cafeteria, a 5,870 parking space structured parking facility with attached Central Plant, a 1,000 seat corporate auditorium, a fitness center, and associated site improvements including access tunnels, a surface parking lot, outdoor dining and recreational facilities and landscaping; (ASA-2011-14); and
    • Tree Removal Permit to allow the removal of approximately 3,710 trees, of which, approximately 90 trees are proposed to be transplanted, and replacement with at least 6,200 trees to allow the construction of an office, research and development campus (TR-2011-39);
  4. Adopted Resolution No. 13-085 approving a Vesting Tentative Map, TM-2011-03.

The City Council also took the following legislative actions at the October 15, 2013 adjourned regular meeting:

  1. Conducted the first reading of Ordinance No. 13-2114: “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Cupertino repealing Ordinance No. 1702 and Approving a New Development Agreement By and Between the City of Cupertino and Apple Inc. for the Development of a New Corporate Campus", DA-2011-01; and
  2. Conducted the first reading of Ordinance No. 13-2113: “An Ordinance of the Cupertino City Council approving the rezoning of an approximately 1.1 Acre Area from Park and Recreation (PR)to Planned Industrial Park (P(MP)) located at APN 316 06050 and 316 06 051”, Z-2011-03; and
  3. Adopted Resolution No. 13-086, vacating a portion of Pruneridge Avenue, between Wolfe Road and Tantau Avenue, and various public easements; and
  4. Adopted Resolution No. 13-087, authoring the City Manager to execute a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Campus Holdings, Inc. (a subsidiary of Apple Inc.) for a portion of Pruneridge Avenue; and
  5. Authorized the City Manager to enter into an Extension of Agreement for Consultation Services with Baz Industries, the successor in interest to ACI Holdings, Inc.

See all Council Actions.

AB900, Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011 Application

On June 29, 2012, the proposed Apple Campus 2 Project was certified as an Environmental Leadership Development Project (Leadership Project) by the Governor's Office pursuant to the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011 (AB 900).

On May 24, 2013 supplemental application materials were also found to be consistent with the certified application. Apple's application for obtaining this status and additional information regarding this Act.

On September 27, 2013, the Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 743 (Steinberg), which, among other things, amends portions of Chapter 6.5 (Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011).

Environmental Impact Assessment (CEQA)

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed project has been prepared which consists of the:

Public Comments received after close of CEQA comment period

In addition responses to comments that were received after the close of the CEQA comment period were provided as follows:

  1. Responses to comments that were received between July 23, 2013 and September 19, 2013 are provided as follows:
    1. Responses to comments on the adequacy of the EIR were provided in an attachment to the October 2, 2013, Planning Commission staff report
    2. Responses to key comments on the project were provided in the body of the Planning Commission staff report.
  2. Responses to comments that were received between September 20, 2013 and October 4, 2013 are provided as follows:
    1. Responses to comments on the adequacy of the EIR are provided in an attachment to the October 15, 2013, City Council staff report.
    2. Responses to key comments on the project are provided in an attachment to the October 15, 2013, City Council staff report.
  3. Comments received between October 5, 2013 and 3:00 p.m. on the City Council hearing date of October 15, 2013 were provided as desk items.

Paper copies of all documents may be purchased at Cupertino City Hall, 10300 Torre Ave., Cupertino 95014.

Public Meetings

The following public meetings were held for this project:

Environmental Review Committee Meeting on September 26 at 9:30 am

Joint City Council/Planning Commission Study Session on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 3 pm

Planning Commission Meeting on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 5 pm

City Council Meetings on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 5 pm

City Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 19 at 6:45 pm

Apple Campus 2 DEIR Comment Public Meeting, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 6:30 pm

Environmental Impact Report Scoping Session Apple Campus 2 Project, Thursday, September 8, 2011, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

The City of Cupertino held a public meeting to receive input on the scope of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The purpose of the meeting will be to gather questions to be studied as part of the environmental review process.

Administrative Record
Plans Submitted
Apple's Updated Proposal Documents - Submitted September 2013
Apple's Updated Proposal Documents - Submitted April 2013
Apple's Updated Proposal Documents - Submitted November 2012
Apple's Proposal Documents - Submitted May 2012
Apple's Updated Proposal Documents - November 2011
Apple's Proposal Documents - Submitted August 2011

Frequently Asked Questions
What is Apple Park?

Apple Park, formerly known as Apple Campus 2 and “The Spaceship,” is located in the north eastern portion of Cupertino near the borders of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. It was one of the last projects that Steve Jobs oversaw. You can view Steve Jobs’ 20-minute presentation to the Cupertino City Council on June 7, 2011. Below are frequently asked questions the City of Cupertino Councilmembers and staff have received about the project. See City Council actions and approved documents.

Where will all these new Apple Park employees live?
  • At its peak, Hewlett Packard, which had previously owned the property, had approximately 9,800 employees. With Apple’s redevelopment, it is anticipated that there will be approximately 13,200 employees at Apple Park, an increase of 3,400 people.
  • While cities are not specifically required to house all employees, California state law requires cities to plan for housing demand as a result of expected job growth. As part of a required Housing Element, each city is required to plan for a certain allocation of housing over a specific period (Regional Housing Needs Allocation or “RHNA.”) Cupertino’s commitment to meeting its RHNA and to creating more opportunities for affordable housing is reflected in various policies adopted and championed by the City Council.
  • Cupertino’s Housing Element (HE), adopted in May 2015, identified sites throughout the city to accommodate its (RHNA) to help improve the jobs to housing ratio and to bring housing closer to jobs.
  • In addition, in 2015, the Council increased developer in-lieu fee contributions toward affordable housing. Additionally, the City successfully negotiated with developers to include affordable housing within their projects that would be affordable for lower income residents, teachers, etc.
  • Since adoption of the HE and increased housing mitigation fees, the City has approved 807 new residential units:
    • Hamptons – 600 net new homes (total 942 units); 71 affordable units (41 very low and low income; 30 moderate income)
    • Marina Plaza – 188 net new homes; 18 affordable units (16 very low income; 2 moderate income)
    • The Verandas – 19 net new homes; 18 senior affordable units (6 extremely low income, 6 very low income and 6 low income)
  • Since approval of the Apple Project, the City has approved several new Housing Development Projects including those at the former Oaks Shopping Center, the Vallco Regional Mall and is working on processing several other housing developments as of December 2024. As the City works toward implementation of housing goals, it will continue to look for ways to incorporate more housing and affordable housing options.
How will all the employees get to Apple Park?
  • Apple has a robust transportation demand program with a multi-pronged approach that encourages employees to walk, bike, or take transit to work. Apple has a very successful shuttle service for its employees, serving people who live as far as Napa, Santa Cruz, and places in between. Currently, 28% of Apple employees commute by alternative means of transportation.
  • In addition, Apple has committed to increasing the share of employees using an alternative means of transportation on the new campus to 34%. The newly built campus has a transit center to accommodate buses and bicycles for employees to use as they commute from home and get around the City to other offices. Apple also plans to provide other incentives to reduce car trips.
How does the City of Cupertino know if Apple is building to code and following the rules?
  • The Apple Park project is no different than any other construction project built in Cupertino when it comes to the review and approval of construction drawings stamped and signed by licensed professionals. Plans developed for each building are submitted to the City for review to verify compliance with all local and State adopted codes and regulations. These codes standards consist of Building and Fire Life Safety, Structural, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Accessibility, and Energy regulations.
  • Plans are also routed to the Planning and Public Works departments for review and approval to comply with requirements of these respective departments. Other departments and districts, such as the Fire Department, Health Department, Cupertino Sanitary District, Santa Clara and Cupertino Unified School Districts, Fremont Union High School District, Water District, Valley Transportation Authority, and PG&E were all collectively part of the development review process and ensure the codes and standards for each stakeholder have been met.
  • Requests for building, fire, and Public Works inspections are dispatched and performed daily to verify the field conditions are consistent with the approved plans.
What contributions did Apple make for local projects and studies?
  • Apple was required to make a total of $75 million in physical improvements in facilities located in the cities of Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose, as well as the County of Santa Clara and Caltrans jurisdiction. Contributions were made toward the following projects/studies identified with feedback from other cities and agencies were made:
    • Neighborhood funding – Funding for neighborhood cut-through and parking intrusion for the neighboring cities of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. Apple contribution: Approximately $750,0000.
    • Bus Stop Improvements – Contributions toward multimodal improvements for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus stop improvements. Apple contribution: Approximately $669,0000.
    • I-280 Corridor Study – a study to identify and evaluate a range of transportation-related improvement projects along the 22-mile corridor from the US 101/280 interchange in San Jose to the San Mateo County line near Palo Alto. Apple contribution: $500,000.
    • Safety upgrades at traffic signals to improve emergency access. Apple contribution: $300,000.
    • SR-85 Express Lanes – a proposal from the VTA to allow High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on SR-85. This would allow solo riders to travel in the carpool or High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for a fee. Apple contribution: Approximately $88,0000.
    • Restriping Project on I-280 – a proposal from Caltrans to restripe portions of I-280 to allow for safe and improving vehicle movement between El Monte and Magalena. Apple contribution: Approximately $35,0000.
  • Apple has also been required to enhance the capacity of roadways and intersections within Cupertino, as well those owned and operated by other jurisdictions. These include:
    • Expanding the capacity of both the northbound and southbound I-280 off-ramps at Wolfe Road.
    • Constructing an additional eastbound lane along the Calvert Drive frontage south of I-280 between Stevens Creek Boulevard and Lawrence Expressway, including the installation of a new traffic signal at Calvert Drive and the addition of an eastbound right-turn lane on Stevens Creek Boulevard.
    • Adding a lane to the southbound on-ramp to I-280 at Lawrence Expressway.
    • Constructing an additional left-turn lane and right-turn-lane at the northbound Lawrence Expressway/I-280 off-ramp at Stevens Creek Boulevard.
    • Widening of northbound Wolfe Road between I-280 and Pruneridge Avenue.
    • Constructing a southbound right-turn-only lane on De Anza Boulevard at Homestead Road.
    • Lengthening of various left-turn pockets Citywide.

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