Yeah not only is UA on lease but they expanded from their initial lease a few years back. From what I understand there have been some reductions from their peak headcount in Sears so there shouldn't be any space constraints at the moment. Nearly everything (except for a CS or ticketing office in the suburbs that they got a deal on) is consolidated in Sears so I'm not sure what UA would be leasing in the Post Office.

My normal route takes me past the Post Office all the time. At this point at least I couldn't point to a single they're done where I've thought "what were they thinking." So far I'm impressed!

The lobby is incredible. I stopped in a couple weeks ago for a look. It will be great seeing it full of people.

I heard UA was looking at space in the OPO from people very close to the project.

I believe I read from someone that the operations center in the Sears Tower is less than ideal due to the size of the floor plates. Apparently it is best to have the ops center on a single floor and in order to do that in the Sears Tower it is very cramped. The OPO seems like it would be a perfect fit due not only to the large floor plates but also the high ceilings, which give ample room for the array of displays needed in an ops center. No other departments would move to OPO.

Just speculation but it all makes sense.

It's crazy to think that Sears Tower floorplates are too small!!! lol. Poor Sears Tower - it's floorplates are either too big or too small.

So United is subleasing space in 77 W Wacker till 2022 as part of the moves made in 2012 and now they'll be subleasing space in Willis Tower until 2028? That doesn't make much sense at all.

If your current space is not optimal for your needs then it makes sense to move, especially if the rent obligation is negligible in terms of your overall business.

^ This. The corporate business environment is fluid and cutthroat, especially in the very competitive airline industry where price wars are common. United needs to find efficiencies wherever possible in order to squeeze out as much profit as possible. You adapt to your needs or you get left behind.

They have lots of room to work with up there. I saw some renderings of a walking path, lots of greenspace, and a few patio/pavilions that could be cafes/restaurants/bar.

https://i.imgur.com/gZpto0Y

https://i.imgur.com/igAy3Z3

All true. The other factor to consider is that to build out and move an operations center that's stuffed with communications and technology has to most a boatload of money to pull off. Those one-time costs need to factored into the equation. Even coordinating a move is huge - you can't just pull the plugs one day for a week or planes wouldn't get off the ground.

Any updates on the Post Office? It's been 2 months. This is my favorite project going on now! I can't wait to see it gleaming and fixed up for the next 100 years.

What surprises me is that we know nothing about leasing activity within one of the largest rehab projects in the United States, financed by one of the largest banking institutions in the world.

C'mon guys!

I’ll have to post some photo updates. Many of the new windows are installed. Nothing really at the ground level which is where I expect the most dramatic architectural changes.

I did step in the lobby recently...and wow it is beautiful.

I assume there are some big tenant(s) that are planning to move into this site and have been able to buy everyone's silence.

Which, would be fantastic news!

That would be great if you could post some photos!

Can confirm, lobby is beautiful.

https://i.imgur.com/oWSGrVY.jpg

Ready for an Untouchables remake!

That was Union Station.

Then he's ready for a Dark Knight remake!

Did Amazon tour this location? If so you wonder if they aren't holding off on signing things until they know what Amazon has to say about their proposal...

This thing is just Art Deco porn...

That lobby is just jaw dropping gorgeous. God am I glad they didn't end up butchering this building like past proposals called for. I couldn't be happier with the way things are going for the OPO!

well, it's now official, walgreens is moving in! 200K SF.

unclear if it will serve as new HQ or if HQ stays up in deerfield.



source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...614-story.html

It's funny, I just came across that and came over here to see the response....crickets....figured I would go back and post the link.....POOF....There is Steely's post

SSDD

0.2 Million sq feet out of 2.8 Million leaves enough room for many other like minded tenants. Amazon once thought of getting into the prescription drug market. If they wanted to be close to a potential partner there is still 2.4-2.6 Million sq feet left. That said H2 would need more space so im still thinking the 78 alone or the 78 in combo with TOPO is their best location for commuter transportation and it would actually be most beneficial to the city IMO.

We can expect a lot of Walgreens HQ employees take the Metra and walk to it. The executives and those that make real money will just buy another million dollar plus condo downtown. Those with families and kids would unlikely unroot them and move the children to live in the city.

We could see likely more than a few Pied-à-terre's rather close to the Old Post office.



Anyway this is a positive for the city but I hope Walgreens can at least keep some back door operations in Deerfield for at least some to the old lifers there that would not be needed than rather just buy them out, because when you do you also lose people to out of state. You get your severance and than move to Florida for half of the year, pay no state taxes and it boosts the Florida census probably more than a million [ from the entire county that do so ] more people that live there and costs Illinois probably around 150-200K people that do the same thing.

Can't improve on perfection so i retract!

:runaway:

It would be interesting to see Amazon at The 78 plus Old Post Office. There's no good way to get between the two, but Amazon could build boat launches fairly cheaply, and maybe switch to shuttle buses down Wells if the ice gets too bad in winter.

^ I thought the old post office and union station proposal are there ones that would go together when amazon was going to expand behind the initial 500k of space?..Not to mention there was land purchased around the Old post office for some towers to be built... I think amazon has alot of options if they do select Chicago and the old post office location and they dont necessarily have to be at 78 in conjunction with it.

Chicago is going to end up with all of Walgreens, eventually. Looks like it will just come/develop in chunks instead of all at once.

^maybe, but Crain's is reporting that Walgreens will have about 1800 people at OPO and 3200 still in Deefield. Also sounds like they will be consolidating their downtown offices in the OPO.

^ Imagine one day having all 5,000 employees in the Post Office :slob:. Would all of Chicagoland's major HQs have been relocated to downtown at that point?

a
Allstate?

That same Crains article states that out of those 1800 jobs, Walgreens is bringing 1300 downtown. I assume that means that it is consolidating what I assume to be 500 jobs that are already in the city, and bringing 1300 from Deerfield or other suburban offices to the OPO. If so, that would be fantastic. Its a huge number of jobs and a massive win!

Deerfield dying is a very good thing.

Naw, it won't die. Too much old money there. Of all the 3200 jobs up there, the vast majority drive in from other burbs. The people that live there are going to be execs and senior management. If and when Walgreens moves to the city, they will continue to maintain their residences there (especially if they have kids) and will probably also get a condo or town home in the city as well.

But yes, getting a big F500 corp like Walgreens out of Deerfield and into the Loop is definitely a win.

Who's next?, Allstate

How about we cyanide every human living in the collar counties, and at the same time lets magically save the natural fauna and flora of course.

Would that also be a very good thing in your book? BTW what book are you reading?

Frankly, I think it would be great to draw in a corp from outside the metro area. Caterpillar, State Farm and John Deere for example. They are all huge Illinois corporations that could easily be wooed to the city, or at the very least convinced to open up a large center of operations in order to tap the city's young and highly educated talent.

Yes, I agree. Out of state would be awesome - and at that, out of the region. Get someone from one of the coasts like Salesforce ( ;) ) to open up a big office there.

As an employment destination, very yes. Otherwise, it is just a very, very distant, slightly neurotic Chicagoland neighborhood full of well off people to board Metra trains and come to the Loop each day where they should have been working in the first goddamn place.

One thing about this announcement that I found odd and encouraging is that it was picked up by CNBC (I know, I know) and either Reuters or Bloomberg.

That felt new. I don't usually see stories about corporation A decamping some suburb or another for the central city.

And between this and the Musk O'Hare coverage, it has possibly been the most press-positive week for this town.

Hah, yes absolutely!



Also, please tell me you know something we don't :)

I don't know shit - but wish I did LOL. It's just good to finally see a sizable announcement like this. It'll be interesting to see who else goes there.

Caterpillar is already in the process of moving their corporate HQ to deerfield, though the bulk of their operations will remain down in peoria, from what I understand.

I believe john deere and state farm are the only two F500 HQ's left in illinois that aren't in chicagoland.

I thought I remembered a blurb about Caterpillar a while back, should have followed up on my hunch. But yes, you are correct. It would have been better if they chose the city proper, but Deerfield is certainly better than out in Peoria.

There's a press conference going on. I believe we're supposed to see some mew renderings too?

Yes, there is! I heard the other day, that Walgreens is moving their entire IT staff from the suburbs, to the Old Post Office! Not sure when, though.

you dont say

Yeah, I read it somewhere on the internet...a message board of some sort...but I cant remember which one....hmmmm....;)

If 1800 workers will occupy 200,000 sf of a 2.8 million sf building, then at full occupancy this building could potentially have 25,000 people working in it.

HOLY CRAPOLA!