AT&T moving hundreds of jobs out of downtown Minneapolis

AT&T is closing its longtime downtown Minneapolis office and moving hundreds of employees to its Bloomington facility.

Why it matters: It's the end of an era as the telecommunications company once had a massive downtown regional office and naming rights to its building — AT&T Tower at 901 Marquette Ave.

What they're saying: AT&T confirmed the move will be complete by the end of August. It didn't give a reason or total number of jobs affected, but spokesperson Clay Owen wrote to Axios that "these jobs will remain in the greater Minneapolis area, and we remain committed to Minnesota.”

Details: The Minneapolis office is home to 260 workers represented by Communications Workers of America locals 7200 and 7250, CWA Minnesota state council president Shari Wojtowicz told Axios.

• The office is also home to many more workers who are nonunion and management, she added.

Between the lines: Workers relied on transit to get to the downtown Minneapolis office, Wojtowicz said. The Bloomington office, at 494 and Xerxes Avenue, lacks bus access, she said.

• "I'm sure we're going to have a large number of people quit because they’re not going be able to get down to that facility,” Wojtowicz said

Of note: Ryan Companies, which built and manages the 34-story downtown tower, said discussions are just beginning on what the new name of the building will be.

The bottom line: The loss is another dent to the downtown Minneapolis office market, which has seen a handful of companies leave for the suburbs and many more downsize their spaces thanks to hybrid work.