Apple leases two large Cupertino office buildings across from Campus 2

Apple is leasing space in two office buildings currently under construction at Main Street Cupertino.Source: Main Street Cupertino

Apple's lease, dug up by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, was filed on Monday and covers 260,000 square feet of space spread across two large four-story office buildings at Main Street Cupertino. The project's website estimates total office space comes in at about 274,000 square feet, leaving little extra for other firms wanting to move in.

Assuming each employee requires 200 square feet of space, Apple's section of Main Street could support more than 1,300 workers, the report said. This would be in addition to Apple Campus 2, which is located just across Interstate 280 and boasts a 2.8-million-square-foot "spaceship" that can accommodate 12,000 employees, as well as ancillary structures for thousands more.

Along with offices, Main Street Cupertino will feature a hotel, apartments and ample room for retail shops.

Real estate professionals in the area have heard rumors that Apple will eventually retract into Campus 2 once construction on the massive development is complete — CEO Tim Cook expects to move in by 2016 — but long-term leases in surrounding areas suggest the company needs extra space beyond its forthcoming headquarters. The report specifically points to a recent sublease deal with LinkedIn that netted Apple about 424,000 square feet in Sunnyvale.

Interestingly, the report notes Devcon Construction as being Main Street's general contractor. Devcon, a big player in Silicon Valley construction, was also seen working on buildings at Apple's Sunnyvale campus, thought to be home of a secret automotive research facility.