Google Spurs LaSalle Revival With Thompson Center Overhaul Ahead of 2027 Move

1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 22

Alphabet’s redevelopment of Chicago’s James R. Thompson Center is drawing startups and other small companies back into the LaSalle Corridor, a long-neglected stretch of downtown.
Google plans to begin moving workers into the renovated 1980s-era building next year, giving landlords and tenants a concrete timeline for the district’s rebound.
The corridor was once Chicago’s financial hub but had fallen out of favor; the Thompson Center project is now emerging as the main catalyst for renewed leasing activity.
The shift points to a broader revival for LaSalle Street, where a single high-profile office commitment is helping reset expectations for an aging downtown business district.

As Google revitalizes Chicago's LaSalle Corridor, can rising rents be managed to protect the startups this project aims to attract?

With office vacancy still high, is Google's massive investment a sustainable urban revival model or just a high-risk corporate gamble?