Tribune Company has discovered that having WGN Radio on the ground floor of Tribune Tower in downtown Chicago is not the most cost-effective use of that space. The radio offices – all except for the showcase studio overlooking a park – will be kicked upstairs so the prime street-level space can be leased to a new restaurant.
The move reported by the company’s own Chicago Tribune will have radio offices and operations move to the 7th floor space previously occupied by the McCormick Foundation. Some 70 employees will relocate to the new radio facilities by summer.
Moving also presents an opportunity for WGN-AM to upgrade to what VP/GM Tom Langmyer says will be a state-of-the-art broadcast facility. “We were going to have to replace a lot of our equipment within the next few years anyway so this expedites that,” he told the paper.
Along with new offices, employees of WGN Radio will also have a new dining option. Bottleneck Management, which is leasing the ground-level space for a new restaurant, already currently operates three locations: South Branch in the Loop, Sweetwater on Michigan Avenue and The Boundary in Wicker Park. All are described as offering American Contemporary cuisine.
RBR-TVBR observation: Here’s a fun bet: Which will come first: 1) WGN Radio’s relocation to the 7th floor of Tribune Tower; or 2) Tribune Company emerging from its long Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding?
