July 20, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

News Digest

A software company is expected to submit its formal application to build on 29 acres in the Stanford Research Park within the week, making it the largest development in the research park in decades, according to Palo Alto director of Planning and Community Environment Steve Emslie.

As previously reported in the Weekly, EMC Corporation is planning a 460,000 square foot campus for its subsidiary, VMWare, at Hillview Avenue and Foothill Expressway.

The headquarters would consist of five buildings, 1,435 parking spaces and replace facilities currently occupied by Roche Bioscience. Roche will move its employees to another part of the Roche campus within the research park, Emslie said.

VMWare's development would be a boon to the city, he added, bringing jobs, employees and their spending dollars. The company already operates out of two sites in the park. By moving to the new site, it would triple its present space.

Representatives from VMWare and Stanford University, which owns the research-park land, would not comment this week on whether a ground lease had been signed yet.

"They're marching along and very hopeful to build their campus," said Jean Snider, managing director of the Stanford Research Park.

A preliminary application was submitted to Palo Alto's Architectural Review Board in May. Emslie said that a ground lease is not necessary for the review of plans, as long as the property owner has given its consent.

Residents along Charleston and Arastradero roads have already voiced fears that the new headquarters will add traffic to the congested transit corridor.

-- Jocelyn Dong

Three local teenagers to help Indian orphans

On Sunday, three Palo Alto high school students will hop on a plane bound for India. In tow, they'll have dozens of toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste and bars of soap, among other basic hygienic supplies. They'll also have a slew of materials for arts and crafts.

Gunn High School student Akaash Bhalla, 15, his sister Anisha Bhalla, 16, and their friend Lauren Dunec, also 16, are on a mission to deliver goods and services to orphans in India. The girls attend Sequoia High School.

The students have raised a few hundred dollars to purchase the supplies and they have also received discounts and donations from local businesses and organizations, including the Bay Area Indian-American Society, Palo Alto Medical Clinic, Michael's, Hewlett Packard, Longs Drugs, Palo Alto Sport and Toy World, Klutz and Target.

The Bhallas and Dunec will spend three weeks at the Sri Ram Orphanage, which is supported by the Sri Ram Foundation developed in 1974, located in northern India. The students came up with the idea on their own and decided to help Sri Ram's children because Akaash and Anisha's uncle helped found the orphanage.


-- Alexandria Rocha

Hewlett-Packard to lay off 14,500

Hewlett-Packard Co. officials announced a budget-reduction plan Tuesday morning that will lay off 14,500 employees over the next 18 months and result in annual cost savings of $1.9 billion.

The Palo Alto-based technology company employed 151,000 people worldwide in 2004.

As the Weekly went to press, there was no immediate word about how many layoffs will occur in Palo Alto and Silicon Valley.

The company expects to record $1.1 billion in restructuring charges over the next 18 months, not including a previously announced $100 million restructuring charges.

The company will also restructure its U.S. retirement programs to freeze the pension and retiree medical-program benefits "of current employees who do not meet defined criteria based on age and years of company service." The company will also increase its matching contribution to most employees' 401(k) plans to 6 percent from 4 percent.

At the Palo Alto headquarters Tuesday morning, news camera crews and reporters gathered shortly after dawn awaiting the layoff and restructuring announcements, and some remained through the morning hoping for interviews with employees coming to work or at lunchtime.

Security guards in vans, SUVS and golf carts shooed reporters off HP property.

-- Don Kazak

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