Chicago City Wire

Chicago CityMayor's Office issued the following announcement on June 15.

Walgreens announced today it plans to open a new office in Chicago where it anticipates 1,800 people will be based. The new office space will include approximately 200,000 square feet in The Old Post Office building, 433 W. Van Buren St.

On Monday, Walgreens will unveil renderings of the future office at an onsite celebration with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Walgreens employees.

The Old Post Office building allows Walgreens to increase its presence in Chicago, where the company was founded in 1901, in order to meet the needs of its current and future workforce while continuing to attract and retain the best talent. The 1,800 people expected to work at the new space over time will include approximately 1,300 positions that will relocate to the City of Chicago. This will be the largest number of corporate employees Walgreens has ever had based in Chicago.

Walgreens Boots Alliance will remain headquartered in north suburban Deerfield, Ill., where approximately 3,200 employees are expected to continue to work.

Alex Gourlay, president of Walgreens, said, “Investing in our infrastructure and building our digital and technical capabilities are essential elements of our business transformation strategy, as we work to improve access for our customers and enhance the customer experience. The space in the iconic Old Post Office building allows us to attract and retain the best talent from all of Chicagoland.”

When renovations are complete, the new office space in The Old Post Office building will serve as an additional office location for Walgreens. Digital and IT operations employees supporting the Walgreens business, as well as some Walgreens Boots Alliance global IT personnel, will be located in the new office space.

The space expands the company’s Technology Center of Excellence launched last year that further combines the company’s retail pharmacy technology teams with digital, mobile and e-commerce teams who currently work in the City. As part of the new space, Walgreens will relocate its digital office currently in the Sullivan Center at 36 S. Wabash Ave. to The Old Post Office building.

“Walgreens was born in Chicago with one small pharmacy on the South Side, and their big new presence in one of our city’s most iconic locations is a great way to look to the future,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This is a smart decision by an innovative company, it will contribute to our city's thriving tech sector, and we are looking forward to cutting the ribbon and welcoming 1,800 members of the Walgreens team to Chicago.”

The new office at The Old Post Office is anticipated to open in fall 2019. Walgreens currently employs nearly 4,500 people in the City of Chicago, where it also operates 120 drugstores.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (walgreens.com), a provider of trusted care in communities since 1901, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. Approximately 8 million customers interact with Walgreens in stores and online each day, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. As of Aug. 31, 2017, Walgreens operates 8,100 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.

Original source can be found here.