Google to Move to Kings Cross

The search giant is going to move its new operation to London, close to train links to Scotland. According to information received from property developers, Google is currently developing a new British headquarters that could be worth as much as £1 billion pounds.

After some sterling work put in by Kings Cross Central development, one of the city’s largest regeneration schemes, the area Google was opting for has taken off a bit. The company has bought a 2.4 acre site where it plans to build a million square foot office. Thus far, it is unclear how much the search giant paid for the site, but the speculations are that the company wrote a cheque for £650 million to purchase and develop the site. The experts admit that the office building will be worth up to a billion pounds when it is finished in three years.

According to Google’s Vice President for Northern and Central Europe, this move is obviously a huge investment by the company. After the office building is finished, the company will move from its current offices in London’s Victoria and Holborn districts. The rumors say that construction on the site is scheduled to start late this year and the building will have 7 to 11 storeys.

Aside from the Hogwarts Express, the company’s new neighbours will include the real estate arm of French bank BNP Paribas, along with a cultural and education centre controlled by the Aga Khan – spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims. According to tax campaigners and accountants, the decision to purchase property instead of renting was likely tax motivated. The matter is that Google is unable to repatriate the cash to the United States without paying a fat tax bill.