WeWork takes 450,000 sq ft in California shopping centre
Office space provider WeWork has taken up a lease for 450,000 sq ft in a California shopping centre. The space in the Mountain View mall south of San Francisco, which is still under construction, was originally taken by business social media site LinkedIn. Lenny Siegel, vice mayor of Mountain View, said WeWork's move would help attract more start-ups to the region, which is dominated by technology giants Google, Symantec and LinkedIn.

WeWork, a shared-office space startup, has obtained more than 450,000 square feet in a Mountain View shopping center that is currently under construction.

The New York company will take over a lease from LinkedIn at The Village at San Antonio Center, according to May Chow, a LinkedIn spokeswoman. The center — which is set to be completed in late 2017 — will also feature cafes, restaurants, a boutique hotel and a movie theater, according to its website.

“LinkedIn has reassigned its lease at The Village at San Antonio Center, and will not be setting up offices there,” Chow said in an email.

WeWork could not be reached for comment.

WeWork, founded in 2010, offers flexibility to companies that are too small, or have too many remote employees, to justify leasing an entire office. Its business model involves renting out large office spaces and then leasing out smaller spaces to other companies.

Lenny Siegel, the vice mayor of Mountain View, applauded this move. He said it will open up more space for startups to grow in the city, which is dominated by tech giants such as Google, LinkedIn and Symantec.

“This is still the best place in the world for start a company, but the squeeze in real estate created by growth of our largest companies has made it difficult for companies to find space here,” he said.

“We’re looking for a diverse commercial ecosystem here,” Siegel added.

WeWork currently has more than 160 locations worldwide, 14 of them in the Bay Area.

On Tuesday, Hudson’s Bay, the company that owns retail giant Lord & Taylor, said it is selling its flagship store in New York City to WeWork, which will use the space for its headquarters. The Lord & Taylor building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is considered a landmark.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani