Amazon takes office space in T3 building in North Loop

Amazon.com Inc. has signed on to lease space in the T3 building in the North Loop of Minneapolis, becoming the first major office tenant in the new all-timber building.

The Seattle-based internet retailer will house its local technology development office at T3 and eventually move people from an existing office at the Fifth Street Towers, according to people close to the deal. The company has said it will eventually employ 100 workers in Minneapolis.

Hines, a real estate developer headquartered in Houston, finished the 220,000-square-foot property last year.

T3, which stands for "timber, transit, technology," is unique in that it's the first commercial property in the U.S. to have engineered wood used for its interior and exterior.

Set back on Washington Avenue, the building sits along the Cedar Lake Trail behind the Dock Street Flats apartments. T3 became the first office building in the city to receive preliminary certification from WiredScore, which identifies buildings with the best internet connectivity.

The building offers Wi-Fi in its community lounge space on the first floor, as well as its rooftop deck. In addition, T3 also has bike rentals, bike storage and a repair station. Bar Method Minneapolis, a fitness chain whose workouts include dance conditioning techniques, has a studio in the building.

T3 was designed by Vancouver-based Michael Green Architecture in conjunction with DLR Group.

Amazon has been steadily expanding its Twin Cities presence. In addition to its technology development office downtown, the company last August opened a fulfillment center in Shakopee that employs hundreds.

It also operates a smaller sorting center in Shakopee and a small distribution center for its Prime Now service in southeast ­Minneapolis.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495

Twitter: @nicolenorfleet