Intel representatives and consultants described a proposed expansion at the company’s Bowers campus in Santa Clara on Dec. 18, 2025, saying the plan would add a new three-story fabrication building (BW2) alongside a central utility building (CUB2) that together total about "a 107,000 square feet." The project footprint is roughly 2.4 acres at the southwest corner of the campus along Central Expressway.

The proposal, presented by John Schwarz of JHS Consulting and other members of Intel’s project team, would include manufacturing fab space and supporting electrical, tool and storage facilities in BW2 and mechanical equipment such as chillers and cooling towers in CUB2. Schwarz said the team is processing an architectural review application with city staff, expects to go to hearing in early 2026 and anticipates construction could begin in mid-2026 and take about a year to complete.

Why it matters: the Bowers campus has hosted Intel since 1970, and company representatives framed the project as an intensification of existing manufacturing capacity rather than a conversion to a large new office campus. That distinction shapes community concerns about traffic, parking and local hiring, and it determines which city approvals are required.

Community questions focused on design, jobs and utilities. One attendee said they liked the angled portion of the design but criticized "that huge massive blank walls," suggesting murals or Intel blue and noting the city’s prior opposition to blank data-center façades. On jobs, Schwarz said the manufacturing work is "tool and equipment heavy and not very personnel heavy," adding "Intel is planning to staff this facility with existing employees at the campus" rather than hiring large numbers of new onsite workers.

Attendees also asked about power and water. Schwarz said Intel is working closely with Silicon Valley Power to provide additional power and plans to maximize the use of recycled water for processing while coordinating with South Bay Water during the design and permitting phases. A panel participant, Wes, said the team expects "a small incremental increase in our power demand" consistent with forecasts but did not provide specific kilowatt figures.

On approvals, Schwarz said the project is being processed as an architectural review application and that rezoning is not needed under the current zoning of the property. Presenters confirmed there were no plans to change the Bowers Avenue sign and no change planned to the main entrance access for an existing building identified as SC1.

What’s next: the project team will continue coordination with city staff through the architectural review process, pursue the scheduled public hearing in early 2026, finalize design drawings, and then move into the building-permit review and construction phases if approvals are granted. The presenters provided contact information and said the meeting recording and materials would be posted on the project website.

Quotes from the meeting include John Schwarz’s description of the buildings as "about a 107,000 square feet," a resident’s critique that "I just don't like the blank walls," and Wes’s statement that the team is "anticipating a small incremental increase in our power demand."