Microsoft Corp. today announced it will expand its Fargo campus with the addition of a third 120,000-square-foot building. Expected to be completed in 2009, the new building will allow the facility to support an additional 575 employees. The new building is part of the first phase of Microsoft’s planned expansion of its Fargo campus. Microsoft currently employs 1,293 people in the Fargo area, including 956 full-time employees on its Fargo campus, and 337 vendors and contingent staff.

“The Microsoft Fargo location has significantly expanded its charter over the past several years, and today the campus is home to teams from across the company,” said Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division. “The expansion we are announcing today is very exciting and will help position us to keep pace with our growth and the changing needs of our business.”

Phase one of Microsoft’s Fargo campus expansion project will also include a 65,000-square-foot expansion to the campus’ existing Horizon Building, which will include a new cafe, meeting rooms and a company store. Phase one also includes the installation of connecting links between all buildings, renovations to the campus’ existing Vista Building to create additional meeting space, and land improvements.

Through its current master plan of record for the Fargo campus, which includes future planned expansion, Microsoft projects that it will be able to house approximately 3,800 employees, vendors and contingent staff when construction is complete.