This is Countrywide's first purchase of a central office facility in Florida, although the company leases more than 100 smaller Florida locations for mortgage production branches, related support operations and other financial services divisions.

About 75% of the new space, which sits on 15.2 acres, will be for office use with the remaining space allocated to records storage, an employee cafeteria, a fitness room and other company functions, explains Patrick Benton, the company's managing director of corporate real estate administration, in a prepared statement. Countrywide, based in Calabasas, CA, expects to occupy its quarters in first quarter 2006.

Benton didn't disclose the identity of the seller. The buildings are at 4909 and 4951 Savarese Circle in the Tampa West Industrial Park. He says the acquisition includes only the buildings' shells and that additional costs will be needed to complete the interiors. Benton says the local workforce is expected to total about 1,000. They will expand Countrywide's mortgage origination, servicing and technology operations in the two buildings.

Benton says state and local tax incentives, including approval of the project by the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the Hillsborough County Commission were "vital to Countrywide's decision to purchase and open its first central office campus in the state."