Tech giant Apple Inc's much talked about "spaceship-shaped" headquarter plans will reportedly be getting some alterations in order to save on its ballooning construction costs.
According to early April reports, Apple's elaborate headquarters project, which initially amounted to $3 billion went up by $2 billion more, adding to the already high construction price. This would perhaps make it the most expensive corporate construction project in America.
Along with the budget addition, plans to expand the campus had also been sketched out. Extra 240 parking spaces in the main car parking area and secondary car park area are on the anvil. Four new public art installations and more number of bike and walk paths would be added around the buildings.
While the new addition plans have been preserved, the company is looking to cut costs using various measures. A feature in Businessweek says that Apple plans to save $1 billion by using less expensive and lasting materials to build the structure. Apparently, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple wanted to use expensive material to give the place a "fit and finish" look. But the new plans have suggested some alternatives.
"According to two people who've seen the plans, Apple will instead cast the ceilings in molds on the floor and lift them into place, a far more expensive approach that left one person involved in the project speechless," reports Businessweek.
Moreover, construction on the "Tantau Development" that comprises of a separate set of buildings slated to house more than 2200 employees, has been postponed. Work on the development was expected to start simultaneously with the main HQ building. That has now been held off.
"Originally planned for construction at the same time as the "spaceship," the Tantau Development is now planned for a future second phase," reports TUAW.com.
Initial Plans of the headquarters were first brought forth to the city council of Cupertino sometime in June 2011, four months after which Jobs passed away. In 2012, the company announced that construction on the headquarters may not start until 2014 as it would not be able to complete the building's environmental impact report until June 2013. As the date of the report inches closer, the company hopes that the revised plans get approved too.
Once the construction is approved and starts, it will probably take two or three years to complete. If Apple has no trouble finding subcontractors and workers for their project, the construction will breeze past quite rapidly, reports Techcrunch.com.
Read Apple's new plan, below: