Cupertino City Council Gives The Apple Spaceship Campus A Go For Launch

The Apple Campus 2 is cleared for launch. Again. A unanimous vote by Cupertino City Council cleared the last hurdle for Apple’s so-called spaceship HQ.

“We’re really proud that you decided to stay here in Cupertino,” Councilman Gilbert Wong said, addressing Dan Whisenhunt, Apple’s head of real estate and facilities, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Yesterday’s vote was mostly a formality since the council approved the construction last month. This final vote reduced the annual tax rebate Cupertino gives to Apple. According to a deal struck in 1997 when Apple was on the verge of collapse, Cupertino gives back 50% of the taxes generated each year from Apple’s business-to-business sales. The new deal has the city returning 35% back to the company, generating an additional estimated $1.2m each year for the city.

Apple is expected to break ground this year. Apparently heavy equipment is already on site. The 2.8 million square-foot HQ will open in 2016. And as with every Apple product, expect a gratuitous amount of leaks and micro-analysis of every move.