BP moving 1200 employees from burbs to downtown (Chicago, Naperville: 2011, schools)

[oakparkdude]

Saw this on SSC and thought it was very notable. That's a lot of jobs.


BP to move 1,200 jobs to downtown Chicago from suburbs -- chicagotribune.com

BP to move 1,200 jobs to downtown Chicago from suburbs

By Robert Manor | Tribune reporter
2:05 PM CDT, May 6, 2008

Oil giant BP plans to move approximately 1,200 workers from the western suburbs to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Wacker Drive.
...
Sources familiar with the latest developments say BP is moving jobs back downtown to accommodate the desires of its workers.

[supernerdgirl]

hah that's kind of ironic, huh?

[Avengerfire]

Makes sense. There is not much to do out around Cantera at all. And the time,money,and gas wasted by people to drive out there from the city and back everyday is unreal.

[Ron.]

It's better to have my job moved than to lose my job.

[jdiddy]

That's wonderful. I used to work in that office park. Those BP-ians may think that life will be more convenient back in the big city, but they'll miss eating lunch on a patio staring into acres of parking lots. I do, anyways.

[BRU67]

But people want the ex-burbs because of the schools!

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

That's wonderful. I used to work in that office park. Those BP-ians may think that life will be more convenient back in the big city, but they'll miss eating lunch on a patio staring into acres of parking lots. I do, anyways.

oh boy! was it just like office space?? what's it like? working in the city is SO boring...

[chet everett]

The majority of people moving are going to be part of BP's Enegry Trading operation -- it is essentially an in-house version of CBOE, not too different from what Enron used to do in one of its more legitimate businesses. These people are not going to have a whole lot of free time -- days are spent glued to their trading screens. I am sure that BP is moving the jobs to where the kind of people that take these jobs expect them to be -- Chicago's financial district. The space is the former CME site on Wacker. BP will use the Cantera space for their other operations. They still have the old Amoco research park out there, with the freaky "brain cancer cluster" building...

[oakparkdude]

I've noticed a mini trend of companies relocating from the burbs to the Loop. This one seems like the largest so far. Granted its still a drop in the bucket, but perhaps more evidence of the reversal of the 50 year-long job flight trend. And since jobs are a leading indicator, is population far behind? We'll have to wait till 2011 or so to know for sure.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

There is not much to do out around Cantera at all.

As far as what? Most people on lunch either exercise or simply eat and socialize, and there are plenty of places in Cantera that they can go to in a short 2- 5minute drive. I live pretty close to the BP buildings in Warrenville, so Im quite familiar with the Cantera area. There are plenty of places nearby for the workers to enjoy. All the places around Cantera become absolutely packed during lunch hours (Rock Bottom Brewery, Potbellys, Red Robin, Max n Ermas, Stir Crazy, Go Roma, CPK, etc). Ive even seen many people hiking/running at Warrenville Grove FP and Herrick Lake FP on their lunch breaks. Downtown Naperville is a short 10 minute drive from Cantera, so you also see alot of businessmen eating there, too, at the fancier restaurants. Some even trek over to Lifetime Fitness to work out as well. They also just opened up a new bar in Cantera, right where the old Wolfgang Puck restaurant used to be. There is also McDonalds, Arbys, Starbucks, etc, and a few brand new commercial spaces being developed right there, too.