The three-story structure is a mirror image of the first building in the campus, which had opened in 1998. First Data, which owns Western Union, has grown so fast that officials have accelerated the construction of the second building, which opens in second quarter 2002. Eventually, First Data plans a one million-sf campus with a completed value of $150 million to $200 million, says Charles T. Fote, president and COO of the company that he moved to Colorado from New Jersey.

First Data is a Fortune 300 company in the e-commerce and payment service business. It is a spin-off from American Express. Last year, First Data had processed $2 trillion, Fote says. He expects several hundred jobs will be added at its headquarters in the coming years.

"This new facility will give us much needed space to accommodate employee growth over the past couple of years," Fote says. "Our decision to move up our Meridian expansion is a strong indicator that First Data is continuing to grow its business and presence in Colorado."