Thompson Center For Sale After Years Of Talk

CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday he is accepting bids for the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. The request for proposals for the 17-story, glass building thrilled some while worrying others.

The Loop building on the 100 block of West Randolph Street is in need of millions of dollars of repairs, and has been designated as one of the most endangered historic buildings by Landmarks Illinois for the past three years. Government officials and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services have been working towards selling the property for years but disputes about how much — if any — of the original architecture to keep and its sales price have kept the mixed-use building in limbo.

"Selling the property provides a unique opportunity to maximize taxpayer savings, create thousands of union jobs, generate millions of dollars in real estate taxes to benefit the City of Chicago and spur economic development," Pritzker said in a statement.

The center was built in 1985 and currently houses several state agency offices as well as a CTA train station connected to the atrium.

Historical preservation group Landmarks Illinois said the nonprofit "only supports a sale if it includes reuse of the irreplaceable building, which remains Chicago's best example of grandly-scaled, Postmodern architecture."

The request for proposals requires any redevelopment to name a part of the new property after the Thompson Center's original namesake, a former Illinois governor from 1977 to 1991 who died last year. The request also specifies the attached Clark/Lake train station has to remain open during any demolition or construction.

Many developers are interested in the 3-acre site becoming home to a skyscraper, possibly the tallest in the state. A new ordinance to increase the property size of the Thompson Center could mean any future building would be wide enough to hit over 100 stories, pending a City Council vote.

Right now, the lease is held by Boston-based Winthrop Realty Trust and Chicago-based Marc Realty until 2034, but the request for proposals implies the state is close to a buyout.

Thompson Center offers are due by Aug. 16. State officials said a buyer is expected to be announced by November.