Facebook eyes up move to giant AIB campus
FACEBOOK is planning to lease AIB’s huge Ballsbridge headquarters in a move cementing the dominance of a handful of technology firms on Dublin’s prime office market.
AIB is moving out of the site after slashing staff numbers in the wake of the crash.
It has decided to split its Dublin headquarters between new offices in the city centre and Sandyford.
Facebook’s main Dublin office is in the so-called Silicon Docks near the south quays of the Liffey.
It is understood the social media network has now held talks to gradually take over 450,000 sq ft (41,800 sq m) of space in the Ballsbridge offices.
However, other locations are still under consideration and a deal may still not be reached, sources told Bloomberg.
Expansion
“Last year we announced that our Irish operations will be growing with hundreds more jobs across all our teams,” Facebook said.
“To best facilitate this and future growth we’re looking at various expansion options.”
The world’s biggest technology companies are continuing to ramp up operations in Dublin. A record amount of office space was leased last year, with Facebook, Google and Microsoft all expanding.
State-controlled AIB is seeking to lease the Ballsbridge space after the bank decided to move its headquarters to Molesworth Street in Dublin, close to the Dáil.
The bank will relocate to the new building by the summer of 2019.
“No other property agreements have been signed concerning our Dublin estate,” the bank said in a statement.
Facebook is also said to be planning to lease an office campus in London’s King’s Cross district, close to the planned UK headquarters of Google parent Alphabet.