The State of Illinois has selected a buyer for the controversial Thompson Center located at 100 W Randolph Street in The Loop. The building, which opened in 1985, was designed by famed architect Helmut Jahn who designed other influential Chicago structures like Terminal 1 at O’Hare International Airport. The sale represents the end of a multi-year process which began in 2018 under the previous governor.
Yesterday, the Chicago City Council approved a new zoning ordinance to upzone the property occupied by the Thompson Center, potentially clearing the way for a much taller development. Located at 100 W Randolph Street in The Loop, the 17-story government building was listed for sale earlier this month as the state has begun dispersing its downtown offices to other locations. One such location is the 429,000-square-foot 555 W Monroe Street, where nearly a third of the 3,400 state government employees have relocated.
This week Governor Pritzker announced the purchase of 555 W Monroe Street, where more than 1,000 of the 3,400 state government employees will move to this spring from The Loop‘s Thompson Center building located at 100 W Randolph Street.