Microsoft Moving on Office Space Plans

"When we made our last head count," says Stacy Drake, "we realized that we will need those Bellevue offices."

At last estimates, Microsoft was housed in 8.4-million sf throughout the Eastside, of which it owns an aggregate 4.9 million sf in Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah. The software giant's main 3.84-million sf campus sits on 265 acres in Redmond.

A remaining question is the status of Microsoft's proposed office campus in the 2,200-acre master planned community of the Issaquah Highlands. Last February, Microsoft wrote a letter to the City of Issaquah, sending notice of its plans to delay construction of that project, citing lack of resolution to infrastructure issues and permit problems. However, Bill Hoffman, director of the city's major development review, tells GlobeSt.com Microsoft is moving forward.

"They have submitted a site development permit to the city at the beginning of this month," Hoffman says.

As for Microsoft's version of the status, Drake says, "We're still working through the permitting process and some of the development issues…and, we're not planning to start until the issues are resolved." Drake adds, "No date has been set yet for (submitting) building plans or designs."