Uber is subleasing several thousand square feet of its Chicago office at the Old Main Post Office as the pandemic keeps many of its workers at home.
The ride-hailing giant confirmed to the Chicago Business Journal on Friday that it is putting up 86,000 square feet of its office space for sublease. This is in addition to the 65,000 square feet already on the market, making for a total of 151,000 square feet available for sublease. Uber's Old Main Post Office spans a total of 460,000 square feet. Uber first signed a lease at the Old Main Post Office in 2019.
Uber said it is subleasing a portion of its office because fewer employees have been going into it during the pandemic. Currently, Uber said it is allowing employees to work in-person and remotely, depending on the needs of employees and city safety regulations.
“Uber’s commitment to Chicago remains unchanged,” said Robert Kellman, Uber’s head of Midwest policy, in an emailed statement. “Construction will be starting at the Old Post Office space later this spring, and we are looking forward to opening sometime in the fourth quarter of 2021."
The company said it currently employs 1,000 people in Chicago, which is about the same headcount since before the pandemic. Uber’s other Chicago offices are at 225 W. Randolph St. and 111 N. Canal St.
Up until the last few years, the 2.5 million-square-foot Old Main Post Office had been sitting vacant since the late 1990s. But after New York-based 601W Cos. acquired the building a few years ago to redevelop it into an office building, companies have begun to sign leases. Other companies that have agreed to move into the building include PepsiCo, CBOE Global Markets and Walgreens, which just revealed new renovations.
Uber is the latest company to shrink its downtown office space. Last month, United Airlines announced it was shedding space at its headquarters in the Willis Tower. In 2020, Groupon said it was looking to shed about half of its space at 600 W. Chicago Ave.
