Thor Cos. fills new office building in north Minneapolis

Developer Thor Cos.' new building in north Minneapolis will be completely full when it opens in July.

Thor's 92,000-square-foot Regional Acceleration Center, at 1256 Penn Av. N., has office space for as many as 300 people.

"Our intention for this project has been twofold all along," Thor CEO Ravi Norman said. "One, to build a new home for our growing company, and two, to spark and accelerate community and economic revitalization on the city's North Side."

The $36 million, four-story building will have a Sammy's Deli, the Me & I fitness center and nonprofit Build Wealth MN on the first floor.

Thor, Target Corp., nonprofit MEDA and Hennepin County will have office space on the third and fourth floors. The third floor will also house the Richard A. Copeland art gallery (named after Thor's founder) and an outdoor deck. The second floor is dedicated to parking.

Meet Minneapolis, the city's convention and visitors bureau, plans to move its office after 15 years in one spot.

Meet Minneapolis is headquartered at Marquette Plaza, on the northern part of Nicollet Mall. With about 55 full-time workers, it will move in November to the former TCF Bank building at 121 S. 8th St.

The new office is just a few blocks from the Minneapolis Convention Center, Meet Minneapolis' primary client.

A mixed-use development with hotel, office and apartments has been proposed to replace a former industrial oven manufacturing site in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood of Minneapolis.

The redevelopment, which would include a 61-room hotel, 61-unit apartment complex, offices and a commercial kitchen, is planned to occupy a 2.7-acre site between SE. 8th and 9th streets. The development is midblock between 6th Avenue SE. and 9th Avenue SE.

According to plans scheduled to be discussed at a Thursday city Planning Commission's meeting, the property holds three buildings originally constructed for the Despatch Oven Co.

Two of the existing buildings would be demolished for the five-story hotel and a parking lot. A 27,600-square-foot warehouse would be reused for three office tenants and common meeting and activity space for the hotel. On the 8th Street side, the four-story apartment building with a likely coffee shop would be constructed.