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HBO CEO Richard Plepler.

HBO has signed a lease that will quadruple its office space in Seattle, expand its engineering capacity in the region following a shakeup last year.

The news, reported by the Seattle Times and confirmed by HBO officials, comes in advance of the launch of the HBO Now streaming service, which has been a major focus of the Seattle office. HBO, which currently leases about 25,000 square feet at the Metropolitan Park complex, has leased four floors comprising 112,000 square feet at Hill7, an office tower under construction in Seattle’s Denny Triangle neighborhood, at Boren Avenue and Stewart Street.

“We are expanding our Seattle footprint so we can further tap into the local talent,” confirmed HBO in a statement emailed to GeekWire. “The plan is to grow off of our current 90 employees in the area of technology as well as create additional positions that will support a variety of departments throughout HBO.”

hill7

Hill7, being developed by the Touchstone real estate company, is expected to open in May. HBO’s lease amounts to 40 percent of the building.

The Seattle office went through a shakeup in December amid reports of internal squabbles. Otto Berkes, a Microsoft alum who was a driving force behind HBO’s Seattle office, resigned as HBO’s chief technology officer in December when the company said it would be partnering with MLB Advanced to power the service.

HBO is one of many outside companies to establish engineering offices in Seattle in recent years, aiming to recruit from the region’s pool of engineers. HBO’s expansion comes as Facebook and Amazon also expand their footprint significantly in the city.

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