Morningstar Leases 275K SF at Google's Thompson Center in Chicago's Largest 2026 Downtown Office Deal

Morningstar (NASDAQ: MORN) will lease 275,000 square feet at Google's renovated Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph Street, Chicago, in the largest downtown office lease signed this year. The investment research firm will relocate in 2028, when its lease at 22 West Washington Street expires. The company currently occupies 260,000 square feet at 22 West Washington with 1,500 employees. The Thompson Center, a 1.2 million-square-foot property, has 400,000 square feet available on its upper floors. The deal tests the "Google Effect" thesis that the tech giant's redevelopment could revive Chicago's struggling Loop office market. Downtown office vacancy rates fell only marginally last quarter, with much of the decline attributed to office-to-residential conversions rather than new occupancy. Founder Joe Mansueto has backed the Loop's revival, calling the Thompson Center project a "huge boost."