Moving to Chicago for Google? New Loop Apartments Are Expanding Your Options
Google is preparing to move roughly 2,000 employees into the renovated Thompson Center at 100 W. Randolph Street, bringing a major new headquarters to the heart of Chicago’s Loop in 2027. For employees relocating to Chicago, the move also comes at an interesting time for the downtown apartment market.
There is more new rental inventory around the Thompson Center than there was just a few years ago, including a growing number of luxury apartments created through office to residential conversions.
More apartments near Google’s new Chicago headquarters
The Thompson Center sits at one of the most connected locations in the Loop, directly across from City Hall and next to the Clark/Lake CTA station. Residents can walk to Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, Grant Park, the Theater District, restaurants, and several CTA and Metra connections.
For Google employees who want to live close to work the surrounding apartment market has expanded significantly.
According to Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development, 25 office to residential conversions were underway in Downtown as of June 2026. Together, the projects are expected to create more than 3,900 rental units while repurposing approximately 4 million square feet of former office space.
That means renters moving to Chicago for Google have an increasingly broad selection of apartments within the Loop and nearby downtown neighborhoods.
Historic office buildings are becoming luxury apartments
One example is Wacker Place at 65 E. Wacker Place, a historic building near the Chicago River that is being converted into 252 apartments. Originally built in 1928 as the Millinery Mart Building, the property is retaining architectural details from its past while adding updated residences, coworking space, fitness facilities, resident lounges, and a rooftop terrace.
Office conversions can offer something different from newer residential construction. Many of these buildings have large windows, generous floor plates, higher ceilings, and architectural details that give apartments a different character. Renovations then add the kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, building systems, and amenities expected in today’s luxury rental market.
Living near the Thompson Center
Google’s arrival is part of a broader shift in the Loop toward a neighborhood that functions as more than an office district.
The Thompson Center itself is being redesigned with restaurants, retail, public space, greenery, and a reimagined 17 story atrium. When Google moves in, approximately 2,000 employees will be working from the building, while new retail tenants will add activity at street level.
For someone relocating to Chicago for work that makes proximity to the office only part of the equation. The Loop also offers easy access to the Riverwalk, lakefront, parks, restaurants, cultural attractions, and public transportation, while nearby River North, Fulton Market, and South Loop provide additional apartment options within a short commute.
If you’re moving to Chicago to work at Google’s new Thompson Center headquarters now is a particularly interesting time to explore the downtown rental market. The combination of new construction and office conversions means there are more luxury apartments to compare, with a range of layouts, amenities, architectural styles, and price points.
Downtown Apartment Collective has the pulse on current apartment availability throughout the Loop and downtown Chicago. Contact us for more information!
