United Airlines OPC Moving to Willis (Sears) Tower

The Chicago Tribune in its online edition for August 4 is reporting that United has struck a deal with the city to move its Operations Center from Elk Grove Village/Arlington Heights to Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in the West Loop:

… the nation’s third-largest carrier decided to take advantage of a stagnant real estate market to seek low rent from landlords willing to deal and aid from municipalities eager to spur economic growth.

“The going-in proposition is that we aren’t going to provide a lot of upfront cash to do it,” [Operations SVP] Kolshak said. “I believe the solution we’re going to announce is going to be very attractive.”

United is drawing fire from aviation experts who question why it would locate its nerve center in a building identified as a potential target of terrorists.

Good luck to my 2,820 former colleagues who will now apparently have to become train commuters, or learn to endure a 90-120 minute car trip to and from work each day. As if they weren’t under enough stress already.

CEO Glenn Tilton apparently doesn’t intend to commute very far — when this nutty move is complete, everything that was formerly World Headquarters will be within 2-3 miles of his Lake Shore Drive living room.