Completing a sale that has eluded State government for decades, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced on Wednesday the final closing of the James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street and transfer of property title to JRTC Holdings, LLC. Google will become the building’s new occupant, establishing its presence in the Central Loop. Google and JRTC Holdings, LLC have entered into a build-to-suit agreement for the redevelopment of the building, which Google intends to occupy upon completion of the renovation. Under the announced deal, the State will receive an amount equal to $105 million for the purchase of the entire JRTC, comprising $30 million in cash and title to the property located at 115 S. LaSalle, which both parties agree has a value of $75 million. The deal furthers the State’s broader real estate alignment, allowing the State to consolidate additional downtown leases, which will save Illinois taxpayers nearly a billion dollars over the next thirty years. Google’s growth over the last two decades has taken the company from a two-person outpost in River North to a two-building campus in Fulton Market, which is home to more than 1,800 employees. The company’s rise in Chicago closely mirrors the tech sector’s economic expansion across the city. The recent Chicago Tech Effect study found that the city’s tech ecosystem grew by 18 percent in the last decade and supports 18 percent of the city’s workforce. The estimated cost to bring the JRTC into a state of good repair currently exceeds $325 million, and is projected to increase to over $525 million, if not addressed by 2026.