Gov. Rauner wants to sell Thompson Center

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois taxpayers would save millions if the Thompson Center is sold, which is why Gov. Bruce Rauner wants to sell it to the highest bidder.

Without saying how much money might be involved, Rauner called his plan a win-win for state and local taxpayers.

"We can get good value for taxpayers by selling this building and moving out," Rauner said.

The governor stood overlooking the food court under the 16-story open atrium telling reporters that the deficit-ridden state would not only get cash for the Thompson Center, the buyer who redeveloped the prime downtown real estate would pay millions in taxes.

"Right now, as a government building, it is not on the city tax rolls. This does not generate tax revenue for the people of Chicago," Rauner said.

Opened in 1985, architect Helmut Jahn's open concept was supposed to symbolize transparency.

"If you kind of look at it from where we are, look straight up, it's fairly impressive," said Terry LaRocca, a state worker.

But other state workers say it is noisy, the food court smells and it's too hard to heat or cool as needed.

"The building, its old and its tired and it probably needs to go," said John Kezdy, a state worker.

"We've got over a $100 million in deferred maintenance and repairs needed here in the next few years that are really not compelling to make," Rauner said.

The administration wants to sell the property in the coming months and hopes that by next summer the General Assembly will have approved a deal and 2,000 workers can begin moving to other state buildings here and in Springfield.

Rauner repeatedly refused to reveal what he's been told the appraised value is for the Thompson Center.

"We want to hold an auction, a public auction and don't want to indicate what we've been told the building, the land is basically worth. But it's attractive," Rauner said.

The Thompson Center cost about $172 million to build in the 1980s.

A Rauner administration official who did not want his name used said that without any zoning changes, a developer could build a 60-story skyscraper at LaSalle and Randolph - a project that would be worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars.