San Francisco-based Salesforce is expanding its Chicago footprint, and will take naming rights on the last project in the Wolf Point Development when Salesforce Tower Chicago is completed. The software and cloud computing firm, which currently employs more than 1,400 in Chicago, aims to add 1,000 new jobs locally over the next five years.
Salesforce employees will start moving into the regional headquarters upon completion of Salesforce Tower Chicago, currently slated for 2023. CBRE Chicago executive vice presidents Brad Serot and Paul Reaumond, as well as first vice president Mark Cassata, represented Salesforce in the deal.
Plans for the tower include an immersive lobby experience and top “Ohana Floor”—an open hospitality space for Salesforce employees, customers and partners. The space will also be available for nonprofits and local education groups to use on weeknights and weekends at no cost.
“We are thrilled to keep growing and investing in Chicago and proud to share this announcement of Salesforce Tower Chicago. At Salesforce, our real estate is a tangible expression of our culture and values,” said Elizabeth Pinkham, executive vice president, real estate, Salesforce. “We are deeply committed to the communities where we live and work, and we show that through employee volunteerism, investment in education and workforce development, and opening our doors to non-profits here in Chicago”
The future Salesforce Tower Chicago will be located on the Chicago riverfront, on the site formerly known as Wolf Point South. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, and developed by the Kennedy Family and Hines, Salesforce Tower Chicago will rise 57 stories above the Chicago River, in the heart of the city’s River North neighborhood.
“From small start-ups to international industry leaders like Salesforce, technology remains Chicago’s fastest growing industry area,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The city is home to one of the largest tech talent pools in the United States, and we are thrilled that Salesforce has made the commitment to further that growth. As a strong, civic-minded business, I look forward to partnering with Salesforce in our joint effort to build on Chicago’s reputation as a premier global city for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The intention is for Salesforce Tower Chicago to act as a hub for world-class, diverse talent, enabling the company to deliver new innovations to its more than 150,000 customers around the world. Salesforce has more than 1,400 employees in the Chicago area and more than 32,000 employees worldwide. Chicago is home to many Salesforce customers including the city of Chicago, United Airlines and Groupon.
Salesforce Tower Chicago will be one of the company’s most sustainable buildings to date pursuing LEED v4 Commercial Interiors Platinum certification and ILFI Net Zero Carbon Certification. On the heels of announcing Salesforce’s largest renewable energy agreement in Illinois that will create hundreds of full-time jobs during construction and several permanent jobs during the life of the project, the company plans to utilize the renewable energy to meet its sustainability milestones.
There were rumors of the deal back in August, when Salesforce was said to be looking at Wolf Point West, now under construction. At the time, the company was reportedly seeking several concessions, including “extremely extensive” signage that would include a video wall on the building’s exterior. It is unclear if the video board component will be a part of Salesforce Tower Chicago.
