Google's Expansion Squeezing Small Businesses Out & Forcing Others To Close
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) -- Keeping a business afloat can be tough, but when your neighbor is Google, it can be impossible.
Now that a small community of shop owners will soon be forced to close, Kevin Reilly is speaking up.
He's been making glass doors and windows for 27 years -- the last 18 from his Pear Ave. shop in Mountain View.
But by September, his discount glass company and several others in this small business park will feel the full effects of getting squeezed out of the neighborhood.
"Google has bought most of the property on this street and four or five streets over," Reilly said. "They are moving out the small businesses like myself."
Google has owned the property since 2009 and all of the affected businesses knew this day was coming.
But that doesn't make moving out into a jacked up commercial real estate market any easier.
"The biggest problem with it is that we've had pretty good rent here and any move we make is going to double our rent for half the space," said Tom Lilledhal, owner of Circulation Management.
That's if businesses can even find space in Mountain View. Lillendahl may have to move to San Jose. Others are talking about closing up for good.
"We're working in good faith with Google to relocate somewhere where we can continue to stay whole," said Center of Balance Yoga owner Karen DeMoor
But Reilly says not all the businesses are getting Google's help.
"I just wish they would help everybody the same way," he said. "If they're going to help them down there, they should help me. I've been here the longest."