by , 12:20 PM EDT, October 3rd, 2005

Apple has quietly acquired over 250,000 square-feet of office space in Cupertino since December 2004, according to the San Jose Business Journal. Including its world headquarters, Apple now has over 2 million square feet of office space in the city.

Apple isn't saying why they are snatching up so much space, but it's likely that their explosive growth over the last few years is a major factor. Also, it may be leasing some space now in anticipation of growth, locking in lower rent prices.

According to Jim Beeger, a senior vice president with the realestate brokerage firm Cornish & Carey Commercial, Apple is one of the four largest companies in the area. "Apple is very quietly going around and taking 20,000 feet here and 30,000 feet there and really doing it quite quietly," Mr. Beeger says. "Ironically, a lot of these buildings Apple moved out of in the 1990s."