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Originally, the state planned to sell about 65% of the Thompson Center to JRTC Holdings for $70 million, but now will be selling the entire building for $105 million, and use those proceeds to buy the former BMO Harris Bank building at 115 S. LaSalle St. With Google eventually taking over 1.2 million square feet of space downtown, officials said it's the biggest corporate expansion in the city's history. SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
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Audio and summary Why the Holdup Using Artificial Intelligence to Cut Illinois Government Costs? – Wirepoints
May 19, 2026
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A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Note to readers from Mark Glennon re: Ukraine
May 6, 2026
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Everybody needs a side hustle these days, and mine is Ukraine, where I am now.
Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer – Chicago’s struggling commercial real estate and more
April 22, 2026
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Summary and audio linked here.
Audio and summary
Google To Buy/Renovate North Loop Landmark Thompson Center — Even Though Loop Office Market Is On Life Support As Vacancy Is At Historic High –
For the same reason that Big Pharma buys advertising on compliant, approved outlets, for products the general public can’t buy, even though nobody watches. Ratings don’t matter. The goal is to funnel money to approved outlets to maintain the illusion that they are “news media”.
Same for Google buying state property that no one wants. A way to funnel money to the failed state of Illinois.
Good luck getting Google workers to show up for work in the Loop — they can work for any other tech company from home
Wonder how much the kickbacks are.
If there were a real newspaper in Chicago, they would investigate who owns the buildings where all the state employees have moved to.
The thugs will love this. This is like releasing thousands of sheep into lion country.
Here’s what it’s like to work in the building, circa 2015. Stunning that there’s only single pane glass considering Chicago’s weather. This is going to be the rehab from hell. The one time I was in an upper floor state office about 5 years ago, I was amazed at how shabby and run down it was.
https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/september-2015/how-bad-is-it-to-actually-work-in-the-thompson-center/
I guess Google is not as smart as Amazon.