Amazon set to open huge Vancouver office space

Online retail giant Amazon have committed to a huge Vancouver office space, it has been revealed.

The impressive space is to be taken up in the Telus Garden development, which is currently under construction with completion expected in 2015.

Amazon's intention to open a Vancouver office space was reported earlier this year, though the Fortune 500 commerce giant appears to be deviating from their suburban office park model by selecting downtown Vancouver as their new home.

According to Matthew Carlson, Associate Vice President for Colliers International, 91,000 square feet have been committed to, with an additional 65,000 square feet on standby "as required." Amazon would take up approximately 20 per cent of the 22-storey office space, and could house more than 1,000 employees.

The office tower is jointly built by Telus and developer Westbank. The tower is part of a larger project that includes a 44-storey residential block, complete with plazas, restaurants, and retail spaces. The entire project is set to cost an impressive $750 million.

Telus Garden is the largest and most significant development in Vancouver's recent office tower boom. Other large-scale projects include MNP Tower, The Exchange Tower, and Marine Gateway.

Amazon was founded in Seattle in 1994, and employs 90,000 globally.