Tribune Tower serves up WGN space for new restaurant

After 25 years on the ground floor of Tribune Tower, WGN-AM (720) is on the move — seven stories up.

Tribune Co. announced Wednesday that it is leasing the space currently occupied by studios and offices of the news/talk station to Bottleneck Management Group to develop a restaurant along the southeast part of Tribune Tower, 435 North Michigan Avenue. Set to open in 2013, the restaurant will face Pioneer Court.

While WGN will retain the Michigan Avenue showcase studio from which morning personality Jonathon Brandmeier and others broadcast, the rest of the station will relocate to the seventh floor.

Tom Langmyer, vice president and general manager of WGN, said plans for the move have been in the works for the past few months, including construction of “a brand new state-of-the art broadcast facility” in the new space.

“Our new location in the building will include a fresher and brighter workspace (as the relocated offices, sales area, news department and studios will have windows as well) and the technical operation and new studios will be fully digital, replacing the current analog equipment, much of which has been in service since WGN moved to the Tower 25 years ago,” Langmyer told staffers in a memo.

“Adding a quality tenant in our building and having a broadcast facility designed for the future speaks to Tribune’s commitment to growing our business on many levels.  This is a tremendous thing for all of us as WGN Radio and Tribune employees,” he said.

WGN last moved in 1986 when it relocated to Tribune Tower from the 2501 West Bradley Place television facility it had shared since 1961.

Details of the new restaurant have not been released. Bottleneck Management operates four others in Chicago, including South Branch in the Loop, Sweetwater on Michigan Avenue, The Boundary on Division Street, and Trace in Wrigleyville.

“We intend to work diligently in the months ahead to develop a dynamic plan for this space—one that works in harmony with Pioneer Court, our neighbors, our growing tourism industry and, of course, our future customers,” Chris Bisaillon of Bottleneck Management said in a statement.

Last fall Tribune Co. leased a smaller space on Michigan Avenue to Argo Tea.