The 616 acres near Woodward, Iowa, changed hands twice in a single day before reaching Microsoft. TC Austin Acquisitions LLC, the acquisition vehicle of Trammel Crow, a subsidiary of CBRE Group, bought the farmland for just more than $30.7 million, then sold it to Microsoft for USD 95.5 million the same day, according to the Business Record.

The Business Record notes that it is not stated whether the USD 95.5 million price tag covers merely the land parcels or whether it includes development-related services.

Property details and location

The site sits in Dallas County, between Highway 141 and Seminole Avenue, near Woodward, which is roughly 30 miles (48km) northwest of Des Moines.

News that Microsoft was planning to buy the property emerged last month, and the transaction is intended for a future data center campus.

Design and construction timeline

Despite the purchase, construction plans remain years out. Microsoft told residents at a community meeting that a campus design has not been decided, nor has the company determined how many data center buildings the site will hold.

The company estimates it will need two to three years to design the campus, with a further two years to construct the first building.

Microsoft's expanding Des Moines-area presence

The Woodward acquisition builds on a substantial Microsoft footprint around Des Moines.

In 2024, the company purchased 111 acres for Project Ruthenium.

Other Microsoft data center sites in the area in various stages of development and operation include Project Ginger West, Project Ginger East, Project Mountain, and Project Alluvion.

Microsoft is not the only developer active in the region. Tract is also developing in the Des Moines area, having acquired 282 acres earlier this year.