DUBUQUE, Iowa — Hormel Foods has chosen its Dubuque plant for the first phase of a major expansion project.

Hormel will add a new line for bacon toppings at its Progressive Processing plant, which opened in 2010. It’s unclear how many jobs will come with the first phase. But if Hormel puts a second new line into the plant later, the $36 million, two-phase project would create a total of about 90 more jobs at the plant.

Sites in Minnesota and Nebraska were among those considered for the expansion project.

Mark Seckman with the Greater Dubuque Development Corp. says the announcement about the second phase is expected within two years.

Austin-based Hormel declined to release more details about its plans.