The University of California at Berkeley today announced a partnership with a private developer and NASA to build a new $2 billion, 36-acre research and development center at Moffett Field in Mountain View.
Branded the "Berkeley Space Center," it will be built within NASA's Ames Research Center and is envisioned as a place "dedicated to identifying, incubating and launching technological breakthroughs" in fields such as astronautics, quantum computing, climate studies and social sciences, according to the announcement.
The plan calls for 1.4 million square feet of Class-A and R&D space, a conference center, academic facilities and retail shops, along with roughly 18 acres of open space and student and faculty housing.
“This planned expansion of Berkeley's physical footprint and academic reach represents a fantastic and unprecedented opportunity for our students, faculty and the public we serve,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ. “This is a prime location and a prime time for this public university.”
The university already has invested about $1 million in the project, including for faculty, staff and student salaries and some “academic planning” activities, according to the announcement.
If approved, Berkeley Space Center would need an estimated $750,000 annually to operate but planners say it could bring in “at least $40 million from multiple project-related sources, including grants, research funding, philanthropy, industry partners, fees and the income earned from the real estate revenue.”
The project also expected to create 6,000 R&D jobs and other employment opportunities, planners said at today’s announcement.
A spokesperson for the project said the $2 billion price tag has been committed over the next 10 years from various private funding sources.
“For NASA, this partnership has the potential to advance world-class research in aviation and space, thus helping improve life here on Earth,” said Eugene Tu, Center Director at NASA's Ames Research Center. “More importantly, Berkeley Space Center could also help inspire the next generation of explorers through future collaborations with the University's students, faculty and partners.”
The partnership includes UC Berkeley, NASA, developer and real estate investment firm SKS Partners, architecture and design firm HOK and urban design and landscape architects Field Operations.
The project's entitlement process has already started and construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2026. Most of the project approvals are within NASA's purview.
For more information, visit BerkeleySpaceCenter.com.
what is it, 1963 or something?
I thought we just blew billions on homeless NGO “services” these days.
NASA’s showing its politicizing and straying from its real mission again.
And how ambitious, irrespective of realism.
Meanwhile, expect the new employees for it, too, to want to live in Palo Alto, Mountain View, or settle for Sunnyvale if they can. It’s not just the nice surroundings, but within a decent bike ride if any routes on the streets remain safe and hopefully pleasant. Ha.
This is great news for the south bay area. It will reinforce our leadership as Silicon Valley and drive innovation right here, as it always has been. And… NASA! What’s not to love?
Those in the know, know. Aviation and space flight, and space science and aviation weather are NASA’s mission. Climate activism and other nonsense is not, ever. It’s an insult to the intelligent, competent, principled, albeit thriving by exploiting the many who are not, as well as misuse of tax dollars. Yes, we know it pays.
So it goes. Good luck to the newcomers with the added demand for housing in the South Bay even if it’s at least partially a plum and certainly beats the airport being idle other than a Big Tech private airfield. (It won’t replace Mineta, though many away from Moffett would like it to, as the South Bay commercial airport for the public. Never mind the very rare, true NIMBYs who live in PAMPA; why would its current privileged users want to share?)