When Google Comes to Town

Or, How a Region Learned to Love ‘The Google'

Over the weekend the Ann Arbor News had an article about the real estate goings-on of Google and it's landlord McKinley.  It appears as though McKinley is trying to buy up the block of real estate that the new Google Adwords headquarters are to be located.  Currently, Google is under lease agreement for roughly 85,000 square feet of space in the McKinley Towne Center for the next four years.  It is estimated that they will need at least 200,000 square feet for the 1,000+ jobs that they intend to bring to the area in the next 5 years.  This article highlights the possibilities for a future Googleplex at the Towne Center and Tally Hall location.

Interestingly enough, there is an article in the most recent Fortune Magazine about why Google is the number one best company to work for.  This article was also highlighted on the morning show Today, this morning.

Great articles.  So What?

It struck me, watching the show this morning, what impact the at least 1,000 employees for Google will have on downtown Ann Arbor.  With Google's propensity to supply their employees with everything imagineable at the workplace, it strikes me that the number of jobs created simply to support the 1,000 Googlers will be sizeable.

By simply connecting the dots, it is safe to assume that there could be an additional 1,200 jobs created to support the Googlers here in Ann Arbor; a net increase in jobs of 2,200 positions.  Of course, everyone is quick to point out that the average salary of the A2 Googlers will be $50,000 and that might be on the low end to consider living close to/in downtown Ann Arbor. 

Put that aside for a moment and consider what 2,200 new positions could do to our local micro-economy.  A2 Googlers will need places to nosh, clothes to be cleaned, places to park, places to live, gifts to purchase, etc.  This doesn't even take into consideration any subsidiary support businesses that Google Adwords may need in the local market!

All of this conjecturing to say what exactly?

‘The Google' coming to Ann Arbor is a sign of (good) things to come for this area.  Let's hope that our beloved local and state officials don't mess this one up.

[Cross Posted at S.E. Michigan Real Estate]