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Report: Google downsizes in Kirkland

Google is cutting back on its plans for new offices in Kirkland, according to a report in The Seattle Times that says the search giant plans to occupy just two of the three buildings on the 7.2 acre campus.

Citing unnamed brokers and OfficeSpace.com, the Times reports that the company recently placed the 63,000-square-foot Lakeview Plaza building up for sublease.

Google has expanded rapidly in the Seattle area since establishing an outpost here four years ago. It now has more than 450 people working at offices in Fremont and Kirkland, but the news today could indicate that Google’s hiring spree may be cooling.

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And Kirkland doesn’t appear to be the only office taking a hit. Last week, Alley Insider reported that Google planned to sublease about 50,000 square feet at its facilities in New York.

Google’s stock has been hit hard in recent months, losing more than half of its value so far this year. It rebounded 7 percent today to close at $312.08.

The company has said that hiring is slowing, but it does still have open positions listed on its Web site in the Seattle area.

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