The entire budget has increased to US$3.3 billion (from the $1 billion stated in 2023) in order to build the company’s projected 315-acre (147-hectare) artificial intelligence (AI) campus and data center.

Situated in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, approximately 70 miles (133 km) north of Chicago, Illinois, Microsoft paid $50 million for the site.

On May 8, state and municipal authorities joined US President Joe Biden for the announcement on-site.

Walsh Construction of Chicago is the contractor for the first phase of the campus, and work on it began late last year. The project’s first phase is anticipated to be completed in 2026.

By 2025, the extended project will provide 2,300 union construction jobs, according to Microsoft’s estimate. According to the Biden administration, 2,000 permanent jobs would eventually be created by the data center.

At the Mount Pleasant location, Microsoft also intends to construct its eighth “AI Co-Innovation Lab.” There were no information available about additional building activity, and the project’s unique component is scheduled to begin next year.

Microsoft claims to have more than 300 data centers across the globe as of right now.