Downtown Chicago office vacancy sets another record while top space tightens – Crain’s

The downtown office vacancy rate ticked up during the first quarter to an all-time high of 28.6% from 28.2% at the end of 2025. The share of available workspace in Chicago’s urban core is up from 26.5% a year ago and 13.8% when the COVID-19 pandemic began, having now hit new record highs for 15 consecutive quarters. But competition is stiff for large spaces in prime buildings.
Subscribe
Notify of

9 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
mqyl
1 month ago

A no-brainer: Do unchecked crime and anti-business policies have anything to do with this staggeringly high office vacancy rate?

Irish Patriot
1 month ago

First, where are the workers go that used to occupy the offices? They’re not in the suburbs because suburban vacancies are at all time highs too; and

Secondly, how will they ever get the missing workers to return downtown?

In short, downtown Chicago is totally screwed.

Mark F
1 month ago

JB Pritzker and Mayor 6.6, “We did that!”

Irish Patriot
1 month ago
Reply to  Mark F

Lori did this.

Fullbladder
1 month ago
Reply to  Irish Patriot

At the end of Lightfoot’s administration, sitting at a table of clueless family liberals, who at least had the decency to admit what a disaster she was, I said to them: it’ll be interesting to see how the Left rewards her , one asked me: why would they reward her? I told them that the Left rewards their own for the destruction they cause to our free society, America and our way of life in the advancement of Communism. Again, they all dismissively smirked at me like a right-wing nut. Lo and behold, a few weeks later it was announced… Read more »

Irish Patriot
1 month ago
Reply to  Fullbladder

If only conservatives rewarded their own like Democrats. At best, our conservative thought leaders get a podcast which they then immediately use to rail on Trump.

The Railroader
1 month ago

Leave it to the DNC apologist Danny Ecker to dutifully provide a ‘but’ to soften the tone of his feeble effort at journalism. Years of TDS-infused Democrat “leadership” has brought Chicago to its knees. How long before JB the Hutt starts begging Illinois expatriates to return so they can be hit with The Hutt’s tax and spend regimen? The Hutt’s trust fund money remains safe from confiscation by Illinois political animals by its offshore depository. The rest of the chumbolones’ funds are not so duplicitously safe. Thus the exodus. Crain’s has been a cheerleader for Illinois political animals for decades,… Read more »

Free at Last
1 month ago

Hmmmm, very interesting. Nobody cares enough to even comment on this article. It’s not so curious as to what all that means to Cook County taxpayers. They’ll reap that harvest in spades. I get the sense that the people that still live there have just acquiesced to their status as tax slaves to the ruling demfilth elite. It’s just who they are.

SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER

Home Page Signup
First
Last
Check what you would like to receive:

FOLLOW US

 

WIREPOINTS ORIGINAL STORIES

WE’RE A NONPROFIT AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DEDUCTIBLE.

SEARCH ALL HISTORY

CONTACT / TERMS OF USE

9
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x