Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

The search is underway for tenants to fill the transformed James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. Crain’s reports Google has hired leasing agents to help fill the space, where it plans to move its local headquarters. The leasing agents are marketing seven floors of the building at 100 W. Randolph. The overhaul of the Thompson Center has been underway for nearly a year. Under a deal with the State of Illinois, Google will purchase the property once the renovation is completed. The company will reportedly occupy space on floors three through nine. Other tenants would lease space on floors 10 through 16.

Also, Chicago-based Veradigm, the health care tech company formerly known as Allscripts, has not been able to find a buyer after conducting a review strategic alternatives. Listen for more below:

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

The apparel and home goods retailer Anthropologie is planning to open a new store in Chicago, in the Gold Coast neighborhood. The store will open at 1050 N. State in the ground floor of the Newberry Plaza condo tower. Anthropologie recently closed locations at Block 37 and in the Clybourn Corridor. An opening date hasn’t been set for the new location. Anthropologie has other Chicago locations at 111 E. Chicago, 1008 W. Randolph, and 3532 N. Southport. Its suburban locations are in Oak Brook, Highland Park and Schaumburg.

Also, 100 employees at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights are being laid off by Endeavor Health. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst, Bankrate, chats with John about this week’s Fed meeting, the progress on inflation stalling, how many rate cuts we might see this year, the labor market softening a bit, and the importance of staying focused on long-term goals.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Chinese artificial intelligence startup company DeepSeek stunning markets this week, and Meta agreeing to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the company after it suspended his accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Segment 3: Amanda Hoover, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, tells John Williams about the rise of ‘No-work Fridays.’

Segment 4: Dan Bradley, General Manager, Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville, tells John everything about the history of the club, the private feel the golf club has, what the golf course is like, what makes them one of the highest rated golf courses in Illinois, what sets them apart from other golf courses, their indoor golfing facilities, and when they typically open the outdoor course in the spring.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about yesterday’s federal funding freeze, RFK Jr’s comments today about Medicare and Medicaid, and the latest on housing affordability. Also joining the show this week is James Stack, Founder and CEO, Stack Financial Management, who tells John and Terry why he’s extremely cautious about the market in 2025. Check out Jim’s newsletter here.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

The State of Illinois is reportedly trying to land chip maker Nvidia. Bloomberg reports the company made a site visit to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago at the former U.S. Steele site on the south side. Nvidia makes graphics-processing chips used in artificial intelligence software and computers. It’s one of the most valuable traded companies in the world. The company hasn’t commented on the site visit. IBM has already announced it will have a presence at the park and the addition of Nvidia would be a major win for the state. It’s hoped the quantum park will result in $20 billion worth of investment over five to ten years. 

Also, the University of Chicago has landed a big investment for its research into drugs and treatments. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about some great advice about word choice that he received when he was just starting his career. And what’s the latest on return to office mandates?

 Segment 2: Matt Adams, principal at Deloitte Consulting specializing in retail, gives John the details on Deloitte’s 2025 Retail Outlook.

Segment 3: Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance, talks to John about Chicago Loop Alliance’s State of the Loop quarterly report details for the 4th quarter of 2024.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about the number of immigrants in the building trades, why she’s not panicking about today’s market dip, the impact of AI on the market, the latest on existing home sales, and what is going to happen to hazard insurance after the recent wildfires in California.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about AI leading the way in US venture funding last year, an AI insurance startup raising new seed funding, and a handful of Chicago startups heading to pitch their companies at SXSW in Austin.

Segment 3: Mac Stevenson, GLASA (Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association) Senior Program Manager, tells John Williams everything you should know about this weekend’s annual “Sleds Are Coming” exhibition sled hockey event at the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse & Ice Rink at Lake Forest College.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

Brick and mortar didn’t pan out for Chicago’s Radio Flyer. The company has closed its only physical sales location at Woodfield Mall. Radio Flyer’s CEO says the store was an experiment and was just not profitable. The store opened in 2023. It covered about 15,000 square feet and allowed customers to test Radio Flyer’s products, including the iconic Original Little Red Wagon. The company’s products will still be for a sale at other stores, including Target, Walmart and online at Amazon.  

Also, a Chicago-based physical therapy chain is expanding. Listen for more below:

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

The W Hotel in Chicago’s Loop is being re-branded. Crain’s reports it’ll be accompanied by a renovation of the property. The 403-room hotel is located at 172 W. Adams and will now be called Midland Hotel Chicago. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that’s the old name of the hotel before it became a W in 2001. The renovation will happen in two phases that will include an overhaul of the lobby and updates to all of its rooms. 

Also, there are new leaders of one Chicago’s wealthiest families. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Best-selling financial author Jared Dillian joins John to talk about what he expects from the Trump administration and the impact new policies will have on the economy.

Segment 2: Bill McHenry, member of the IHA (International Housewares Association) Board of Directors and long-time exhibitor at The Inspired Home Show, talks about the upcoming show (March 2nd-4th), the economic impact of the show, the types of things that will be at the show, and the current trends in the industry.

Segment 3: Kara Demirjian Huss, Senior Vice President at TCCI Manufacturing, tells John about the International Day of Clean Energy, what clean energy means to TCCI, how business has been going, the trends she sees in the industry, her thoughts on the policies of the new administration and how that will impact manufacturing, and how they are continuing to grow their footprint in Illinois.

Segment 4: Michael Muser, co-owner of two-Michelin-starred Ever and Jean Banchet Awards director, joins John to talk about the upcoming Banchet Awards, Chicago’s great culinary scene, and how restaurants are the heart of many communities.