Google has opened the doors to its newest office space in Atlanta and announced a $1 million commitment to support work in training underserved communities throughout Georgia.
The company recently opened the doors to the new space in Midtown Atlanta at the 1105 West Peachtree building, it said yesterday. This new Google office encompasses 19 floors spanning 500,000 square feet and is part of its broader investment in local communities across the US.
Google has been in Atlanta for over 20 years. It has over 1,000 employees in Georgia, located in two offices as well as in a data centre in Douglas County.
The tech giant underlined that Atlanta has a rich civil rights history and is home to top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tech talent. It hopes continuing its long-term investment in Georgia’s capital will help support its Black Googler community there, in line with the company’s racial equity commitments.
"Inspired by the city’s legacy for social change, our office was designed as an homage to the people of Atlanta, with each floor an ode to Atlanta’s cultural, musical and artistic history," said Matthew Pritchard
Google Atlanta co-site lead and global business organisation lead. "We worked with more than 50 local and diverse companies to design and build the new space, including artwork from more than 20 local artists."
In the lobby, visitors are greeted with a giant heart outlining the Google Atlanta sign. One of the staircases features a rainbow design, in support and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, inspired by the city’s nearby rainbow crosswalks. The WERD Cafe, the Google cafeteria, is named for the first Black-owned and programmed U.S. radio station.
Google also announced yesterday a $1 million commitment to the Urban League of Atlanta to support their work in training underserved communities throughout Georgia. The company hopes the grant will help jobseekers get digital skills training and place them in high-growth jobs.
The tech giant is also partnering with local community organisations and universities. It’s working with HBCUs like Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College to attract talent, and partnering with the Technical College System of Georgia to offer Google Career Certificates to 22 colleges across the state at no cost.
Lastly, the company is partnering with Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta BeltLine to launch the Atlanta BeltLine Marketplace, an effort to help local Black, Latino and women-owned small businesses reach new customers by retrofitting rail cars into office spaces. It’s providing Wi-Fi for the rail containers, a complete suite of Google Nest products, Chromebooks, and free digital skills training.
