Google to buy, renovate Chicago’s Thompson Center

The tech giant’s move into the glassy state office could bring thousands of jobs. But what will this mean for the historical legacy of the building?

By Claire Hyman
The James R. Thompson Center.
The James R. Thompson Center. Pat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times
The James R. Thompson Center.
The James R. Thompson Center. Pat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times

Google to buy, renovate Chicago’s Thompson Center

The tech giant’s move into the glassy state office could bring thousands of jobs. But what will this mean for the historical legacy of the building?

By Claire Hyman
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Google’s purchase of the James R. Thompson Center could add an estimated 5,000 jobs to the Loop, an area where office vacancies are more than 20%. But it also raises questions about the future of the building as a historic Chicago landmark. Reset checks in with a business reporter and a historical preservation specialist to discuss the implications of Google’s plans.

GUESTS: Jonathan Solomon, partner in the Chicago firm Preservation Futures; associate professor at the School of the Art Institute

Danny Ecker, commercial real estate reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business