Tim Cook calls 'Campus 2' Apple's future 'home for innovation and creativity'

The tweet, only the fifth such missive from Apple's chief since joining the popular microblogging service in late September, called the campus Apple's "home for innovation and creativity for decades to come." Apple hopes to begin moving in to the Norman Foster-designed development in 2016.

The council's approval, given late Tuesday night after hours of discussion, means Apple is in the home stretch of the permitting process for the new campus. Opponents of the plan have a 10-day window to file petitions for the council to reconsider Apple's proposal, after which permits will be issued and Apple can begin the construction phase in earnest.

The nearly $5 billion project was introduced in 2011 by late Apple CEO Steve Jobs in what would turn out to be his final public appearance. Plans call for Apple to demolish all existing structures on the site and start from scratch, moving most of the infrastructure below ground and covering 80 percent of the land in native California grasses and trees around its new 2.6 million square foot ring-shaped main headquarters.