The former American Home Furnishings building at 4690 N. Oracle Road, which has sat vacant for more than five years, is getting a makeover and a new tenant.
Comcast Cable will use the space for its new IT, call center and social media operations.
The company announced its plans to add 1,125 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ jobs in May, but the location wasn’t revealed until Thursday because the lease was being negotiated, said Greg Furrier, of Picor, who represented the building’s owner, The Tanager Co.
Construction inside the building is expected to start right away. Comcast will occupy more than 100,000 square feet for its state-of-the-art facility, which will include a cafeteria and fitness center for employees, said Ray Child, a spokesman for Comcast.
He said the company plans to invest more than $10 million in renovations and improvements.
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With an annual payroll of $35 million, the center will be staffed by information-technology and customer-support workers. It will house Spanish-speaking employees specializing in social media so customers can connect with Comcast via Twitter, Facebook or other outlets.
Fifteen percent of those positions will be filled by military reservists, veterans and their spouses or domestic partners.
Comcast will receive up to $180,000 in city tax incentives for creating high-paying managerial jobs at the new call center.
Under the Primary Jobs Incentive program, employers must create at least 25 new jobs that pay at least $52,400.
Comcast plans to have about 40 new jobs at or above that salary.
Comcast currently has a service center on North Cortaro Road with more than 100 employees. The additional hires will propel Comcast into the top 40 employers in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. The locations will remain separate, as the existing one’s focus is on field tech support.
American Home Furnishings closed its seven ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ locations, including four stores and a distribution center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, in 2008.
The Albuquerque-based company bought the vacant ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Galleria at the North Oracle Road site, just north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall, in 1992 and opened for business the following year.
American Home Furnishings’ former building at Golf Links and Harrison roads was leased by Circus Furniture and Platinum Fitness. The building at Prince Road near Interstate 10 is now a Sam Levitz Furniture store.
