Facebook's Expansion Plans Would Create a New 'Village' in Menlo Park

"Aiming to address long-neglected community needs and to accommodate its burgeoning workforce, Facebook has proposed a vast expansion of its Menlo Park campus," reports George Avalos.

"Menlo Park-based Facebook intends to develop 1.75 million square feet of offices, 1,500 units of housing, 125,000 square feet of retail space including a pharmacy, as well as a cultural and visitor center," adds Avalos.

In addition to discussing how the new housing supply would benefit Facebook's massive workforce, Avalos also devotes significant ink to the need for amenities and commercial uses in the city of Menlo Park. For instance, "Facebook hopes that one big community benefit will be the addition of a market in what is something of a grocery desert in that part of Menlo Park. The closest Safeway store in Menlo Park is about 4 miles away from the proposed campus, a trip that can be a 20-to 30-minute drive across town in commute traffic."

The plan has already gained some levels of approval from the city, including from the city's planning commission back in October 2016. This most recent development for the proposed project adds new renderings and a design narrative to the plan.