3M announces new R&D facility

3M says it will begin construction next year on a new research and development facility at its suburban Twin Cities headquarters.

The laboratory building will go up on the west end of the 3M campus, near the corner of McKnight Rd. and Conway Ave. in Maplewood.

Construction will take about two years. Company spokeswoman Jackie Berry said 700 existing staff will work there. The company said the new facility reaffirms their commitment to Minnesota as a research and development center. It has yet to be determined what research and developing will be conducted at the new facility, Berry said.

3M did not specify the building's size, or how much it will cost. Maplewood officials say this project alone could approach two- to three- times normal construction spending the city for a year.