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

Facebook has proposed a campus expansion that would take shape as a neighborhood center or village, providing needed community services and amenities in the sprawling Menlo Park.

1 minute read

July 10, 2017, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Facebook Bikeshare

The existing Facebook campus is already trying to overcome some of the limitations of the traditional suburban office park. | Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock

"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.

Friday, July 7, 2017 in The Mercury News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight