Newly-acquired Chicago Sun-Times and Reader plan big West Loop move

After closing a deal this week to buy the Chicago Sun-Times, a group of investors led by former Alderman Edwin Eisendrath announced that the paper—along with its sister publication the Reader—will relocate to new offices in the city’s hot West Loop. The organization will vacate its current offices at the River North Point building at 350 N. Orleans for 30 N. Racine, a four-story commercial building that was once occupied by Oprah’s Harpo Productions.

While details of the move were announced at a news conference yesterday, it’s still unclear if management plans to grow or shrink the paper’s current workforce. According to DNAinfo, the paper’s new owners will lease 26,000 square feet of space in the 75,000-square-foot building and move in “later this year.” Built in 1945, the brick-clad structure at 30 N. Racine Avenue is also home to tenants such as Answers Media, 37 Signals, and Goodwill.

Yesterday’s announcement is the latest in a long string of encouraging news for Chicago’s rapidly changing West Loop neighborhood. The area has recently experienced unprecedented growth catalyzed by the presence of tech tenants like Google and news that McDonald's would move its corporate digs to 110 N. Carpenter Street. Dozens of new office, apartment, retail, and hotel developments are either currently under construction or in the pipeline.

• Sun-Times Moving Into Booming West Loop [DNAinfo]
• New investors in Chicago Sun-Times revealed [Sun-Times]
• Previous West Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]