Parts of Apple's 'spaceship' building at the Apple Park campus are now usable by employees, after the iPhone producer received temporary occupancy permits from the City of Cupertino, and it is expected permits to use the rest of the massive structure will be granted later this quarter.
According to data compiled by Cupertino building official Albert Salvador, Apple was provided temporary occupancy permits for five of the 12 sections of the main circular Apple Park building, reports VentureBeat. The paperwork gives Apple permission to bring its employees into these defined areas to work.
It is believed Apple will gain similar temporary occupancy permits for the remaining sections of the structure in the near future. The spreadsheet containing the permit data, dated for January 17, indicates the rest of the permits could be provided by March at the latest.
Apple had in fact received a temporary permit for one section in July last year, with the permitted area containing the restaurant and atrium areas of the campus.
The temporary occupancy permits are required by building owners if they wish to use areas of a structure that is still under construction, Salvador told the report. The permits have a "list of exclusions" that limit how a space can be used, though Salvador advised such a permit would generally be granted so long as there is a safe passage to a public right-of-way.
"I would not issue a final certificate of occupancy until all the work is complete on the entire site," states Salvador. "Appropriate barriers are required to keep occupants away from any portions of the building or site where construction is still in progress."
Since receiving the permits, Apple has started to move more of its staff to Apple Park from its other nearby offices and facilities, with the building expected to fit some 12,000 people once completed. Notably, Apple is reportedly attempting to keep the staff migration as secretive as possible, though some employees have confirmed the move in social media posts.
At the time Apple gave the formerly-named "Campus 2' the official title of Apple Park early last year, it was claimed employees would start moving over to the new headquarters from April 2017, with the moving process expected to take just six months to complete.
Construction is still ongoing at the campus, though it and landscaping efforts are appearing to wind down. The latest drone flyover of the campus shows large-scale construction equipment have been removed from view, leaving a handful of cranes visible, and while landscaping in many sections seem to be completed, some areas still appear to be in a rough state that needs more work.