CHICAGO, Ill. – It was only on the market about seven months after failed attempts in the past, but a tech giant will be the new owner of the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.
Google — which has had a Chicago presence for decades — has purchased the Thompson Center from the State of Illinois for $105 million — $30 million in cash, and use of another downtown Chicago building valued at $75 million.
“We’re saving taxpayers money,” said Gov. JB Pritzker, at a news conference in Chicago. “We’re growing high-paying jobs. We’re adding vitality to The Loop, and improving the work environment for thousands of private- and public-sector employees.”
Pritzker says taxpayers will be saved $1 billion over the next several decades in maintenance costs, and the facility will be put back on property tax rolls.
“Chicago’s tech sector is at an all-time high,” said Pritzker, “with more than 143,000 people working in more than 6,000 digital companies. We have a record number of new businesses that got started in Illinois in 2021, and Chicago is the number one metro area for corporate relocations and expanding companies.”
Pritzker made the statement despite entities like Boeing and Caterpillar saying they were moving out of the state in recent months.
Google has had a base of operations in Chicago for several decades. It will officially move into the Thompson Center in 2026, once some renovations are made.
