Apple Buys 9 More Acres in Cupertino

Apple has been getting bigger and bigger, and not just in terms of products and new markets. The company has been growing in size, and has constantly had to deal with a shortage of space.

Last year, Jobs talked to the Cupertino city council, letting them know that Apple was working on increasing their property size in the town. While the company could find land elsewhere, Jobs said that they liked being in Cupertino and had no plans of going elsewhere.

Now, according to county records, the company has bought nine acres in Cupertino from Kevin Wu's Pacific Resources Development Company. Santa Clara County Assessor's Office online records list the value of the two properties, at 10300 and 10400 North Tantau Avenue, at about $16 million. Wu had intended to build 125 townhouses between Pruneridge Avenue and Interstate 280, but abruptly withdrew his application in February, without saying to whom he sold the land.

Apple already owns a 50-acre parcel on the other side of North Tantau Avenue where it is expected to build a campus for up to 3,500 of its employees. This new campus should help bring together the company's employees who are currently scattered all over the city.

Last year, when Jobs addressed the Cupertino city council, besides touching on the inevitable problems with parking, he talked about the difficulties involved in having people spread about. Today, with Apple more spread out than ever, in terms of products and markets, it is perhaps more important than before to have everyone closer together and working together.

So far, Apple declined to comment on its plans for the new property or when it would make an announcement.