Microsoft says new office space does not represent ‘significant expansion’ in Boulder

BOULDER — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) has taken on some new office space in Boulder, but the company says its relatively new lease on Canyon Boulevard doesn’t represent a major expansion of its local operations. 

A large Microsoft sign can be seen affixed to the front of the newly built office building at 1650 Canyon Blvd., a project developed by W.W. Reynolds Cos. called the Williams Building. 

“While Microsoft signed a new lease in Boulder this past June, the move was part of ongoing efforts at the company to provide modern, team-based workplaces for employees, and is not a significant expansion,” a company spokesperson told BizWest. 

The Williams Building, a three-story structure in central Boulder, includes just over 25,000 square feet. 

It’s unknown how much of the space is leased to Microsoft, as the company did not comment beyond the spokesperson’s one-sentence statement. W.W. Reynolds representatives did not reply to requests for comment. 

Microsoft, which took over roughly 32,000 square feet on three floors of 1900 15th St. about a decade ago, is just one of a handful of technology giants taking on new office space in Boulder, some of which are indeed in the midst of a major expansion in the city.
Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is thought to have recently grown its Flatiron Park presence to 240,000 square feet. Its presence there is a major selling point for owners of part of the business campus, who are rumored to be seeking a whopping $600 million for the roughly 1 million-square-foot portfolio.

Amazon set up shop downtown at 1900 15th St. in 2018. Those offices were leased to house advertising-focused engineers.

About a year ago, Google expanded its Boulder operation with additional offices and employees at its 3333 Walnut St. facility, leasing the entirety of the nearly 160,000-square-foot facility.

The company followed that expansion up with the purchase of The Reve, a new mixed-use development in central Boulder. Google’s footprint at The Reve totals about 125,000 square feet.

The company has also completed the third building at its 300,000-square-foot main campus at 2930 Pearl St. That campus was designed to house 1,500 employees.

Social network Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) inked a new lease last November for 65,000 square feet in the S’Park neighborhood in central Boulder. 

That added to Twitter’s 30,000-square-foot lease in the Wencel Building south of the Pearl Street Mall, where it houses an app-development team.

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