Status update: Facebook opening Sixth St. office Austin Business Journal - by Christopher Calnan<http://www.bizjournals.com/search/results.html?Ntt=%22Christopher%20Calnan%22&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial>Staff writer
Facebook Inc.<http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/related_content.html?topic=Facebook%20Inc>plans to open on Monday a downtown office on West Sixth Street in Austin with about six employees and grow it to 200 during the next four years. The California-based social media giant, which first confirmed its interest in Austin in late February, is establishing an office at 300 W. Sixth St. Company workers will initially occupy 21,000 square feet of the 23-story building, spokeswoman Sarah Smith said. Facebook will start with a six-person “landing team” of relocated employees, but plans to hire additional local workers for online sales, user operations, developer operations and risk management, Smith said The move is Facebook's first major U.S. expansion outside California and considered a boon to Austin’s reputation as a technology hotbed, especially in the social media sector. Local social media companies also includes Bazaarvoice Inc.<http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/related_content.html?topic=Bazaarvoice%20Inc>, Spredfast Inc.<http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/related_content.html?topic=Spredfast%20Inc>and Socialware Inc.<http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/related_content.html?topic=Socialware%20Inc>Earlier this month, the Social Business Council<http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/related_content.html?topic=Social%20Business%20Council>relocated from Chicago to Austin. Facebook, which employs about 1,200 workers, expects to invest about $3.1 million to set up local operations, state officials have said. Although the company does not report revenue, industry experts have estimated it reaches about $500 million annually. The local sales and operations jobs would have average salaries of $54,000, according to city documents. In March, Austin City Council approved for Facebook a $200,000 incentive package that is coupled with $1.4 million in state spending. The Sixth Street building, which was completed in 2002, is between Lavaca and Guadalupe streets. It is managed by Thomas Properties Group Inc.<http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/related_content.html?topic=Thomas%20Properties%20Group%20Inc>, which operates offices in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The company manages 11 buildings in Austin, according to its website. Facebook officials have said the city’s deep talent pool would enable it to hire the type of workers it is seeking. They declined to disclose the number of Austin locations considered for the office. -- Our Web site: http://www.RefreshAustin.org/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Refresh Austin" group. [ Posting ] To post to this group, send email to [email protected] Job-related postings should follow http://tr.im/refreshaustinjobspolicy We do not accept job posts from recruiters. [ Unsubscribe ] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] [ More Info ] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Refresh-Austin
