Pritzker, Johnson Kick Off Construction On Google's Thompson Center Redevelopment
Prime | Capri Interests officially launched construction Monday on its redevelopment of the James R. Thompson Center into Google's new Chicago headquarters.
Prime | Capri co-principals Michael Reschke and Quintin Primo III announced the development's start at a press conference Monday, flanked by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. The developer put construction equipment in place and installed protective fencing around the building’s perimeter and outdoor plaza at the beginning of April.
"When this project is complete, this one single building will help lift up the surrounding area," Reschke said at the press conference Monday. "Not only will it lift up the buildings, but it also will lift up the hearts, feelings and optimism of all the people who work, live and visit this area every single day."
The developer is taking on the build-to-suit redevelopment project through an agreement with Google, which intends to buy the building once Prime | Capri finishes its work. The Thompson Center’s CTA station, where six train lines converge, will remain open throughout construction.
"This project brings numerous construction opportunities to our city while also preserving a vital transit hub, which reinforces our shared commitment to accessibility," Johnson said in a statement. "As a future home for Google, this site will undoubtedly stand as a symbol of Chicago's stature as an inclusive hub for business and technology on the global stage."
In July 2022, Google announced plans to purchase the 1.2M SF Helmut Jahn-designed building for $105M, pending completion of renovations. The company anticipates it will move into the building at 100 W. Randolph St. in 2026.
The Thompson Center opened in 1985 as the State of Illinois Center and features a 17-story internal atrium and a glassy facade. To make the building more sustainable, Google pledged to upgrade it to a LEED Platinum, all-electric building when it agreed to buy the property.
The developers will do so by replacing the building’s facade and internal systems. The new triple-pane glass exterior will improve the thermal performance of the building by requiring less energy to heat and cool it. They will also replace outdated heating and cooling equipment with high-efficiency systems.
Covered terraces along three levels of the southeast perimeter will offer new green spaces, and the new exterior will maximize natural daylight. The renovations were designed by Jahn, the firm founded by the building's original architect.
"The Google employees who will call this building home will be another piece in the complex, thriving puzzle of the Loop’s infrastructure and ecosystem, making our economy and our skyline stronger," Pritzker said in a statement.
