Uber scouts offices at old post office: report

Chicago’s giant old post office building, empty since the last century, could soon host offices for a star of the 21^st century economy, Uber Technologies.

The San Francisco-based company is negotiating to lease about 450,000 square feet in the building at 433 W. Van Buren St., the Chicago Tribune reported. The two-block-long building spans Ida B. Wells Drive and is undergoing a renovation of its 2.7 million square feet to make it suitable for offices.

The deal is not complete and it could fall apart, or its size could change, the Tribune reported, citing people familiar with the deal. A spokesman for the owner, New York-based 601W Cos., could not be reached and a leasing representative for the building declined to comment.

An Uber representative could not be reached Wednesday night.

The building is expected to have some space ready for occupancy later this year. Leasing activity has picked up since Walgreens announced a year ago that it is taking 200,000 square feet at the property, where it will move many of the employees at its Deerfield headquarters. Another large tenant will be Ferrara Candy, which is moving its headquarters from Oakbrook Terrace.

The property now goes by the name The Old Post Office. It was last used for that purpose in 1996, when the U.S. Postal Service moved to its current hub at 433 W. Harrison St.