* Press release…

Today, Gov. JB Pritzker took the following bill action:

Bill Number: SB 886
Description: Provides for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center by competitive sealed proposal process within two years. The purchaser must enter into an agreement with the City of Chicago and CTA to maintain operations of the Clark & Lake station.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately

The timeline of the JRTC sale is as follows:

Phase 1 (Present to Months 3-6) — The state will draft a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to interested purchasers within the next four to six weeks and will re-engage negotiations with the City of Chicago regarding zoning and transit station within three to six months;

Phase 2 (Months 7-12) — The state will issue an RFQ and begin discussions with interested purchasers in four to six months’ time and draft and publish a Request for Proposal (RFP) to acquire and develop the property in four months’ time;

Phase 3 (Months 12-17) — The state will allow four to five months for interested purchasers to develop their proposals and respond to the RFP;

Phase 4 (Months 15-20) — The state will evaluate proposals, which includes discussions with proposers to clarify responses, within three months;

Phase 5 (Months 17-22) — The state will negotiate and award the contract within two months, which will conclude before the 24-month deadline.

Simultaneous with the sale of Thompson Center, the state will implement a planned relocation of current Thompson Center employees to the Michael A. Bilandic Building and other under-utilized, state-owned or rented facilities, consistent with recommendations made by the newly-created Pension Asset Value and Transfer Taskforce.

* The Question: Think it’ll happen? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…

…Adding… Lori Lightfoot on the sale of the Thompson Center back in February…

As a lover of Chicago’s architectural history, in general, my first instinct will always be to protect historical treasures. The Thompson Center has had a checkered history and there are valid concerns about maintenance. The fight between outgoing Governor Rauner and Mayor Emanuel should be in the rearview mirror. I would welcome dialogue with the Pritzker administration to devise a plan for the building’s future.