[the urban politician]

Trading firm bulks up on West Loop office space
Don Wilson's DRW Holdings signals the importance of in-person work with one of the largest downtown office expansions since the pandemic began.
DANNY ECKER

Don Wilson's trading firm has expanded its West Loop headquarters, making room for a Chicago workforce it has beefed up during the pandemic and plans to keep growing with close to 80 more jobs.

Wilson's DRW Holdings has leased more than 60,000 square feet across two floors at 540 W. Madison St., the company confirmed, a move that brings the company's total footprint in the building close to 200,000 square feet. DRW added the building's 28th floor to its existing space on the three floors below and also picked up a portion of the 31-story building's fifth floor.

The lease completes one of the largest expansions of downtown office space since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies re-evaluating their workspace needs with the rise of remote work over the past two years have sought to shrink their office footprints, driving downtown office vacancy to a record high in 2021.

But DRW is part of the crop of companies making statements about their commitment to in-person office work and taking advantage of a soft market for landlords.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/comm...m-drw-holdings