Google's plan to build a futuristic domed campus may lose out to LinkedIn as tech real estate race heats up

There's a mad land grab in Mountain View, California, and Google and its neighbor LinkedIn are at the heart of it.

The two tech giants, along with five other parties, all submitted plans to develop 5.8 million square feet in North Bayshore. The problem is that the city of Mountain View only has 2.2 million square feet of new development to allocate.

In a surprise turn last week, it looks like it might be part of Google's campus that is left behind, including the largest building in its new planned campus, which is designed as a series of domes.

In a report to city council, Mountain View city staff recommended two out of the four sites in Google's futuristic campus design should "not move forward" since they are being studied as potential housing sites. The housing report won't be issued until the fall, so it's up to the Mountain View city council to decide tomorrow whether to move ahead with the other projects submitted — which includes the lion's share of the land for LinkedIn — or wait until the housing study comes out.

Cuts have to be made