BMO Harris - Building the workforce of tomorrow

In 2022, BMO Tower will join Chicago’s iconic skyline, marking an exciting new chapter for the city’s largest locally-rooted bank. BMO Harris, a staple in Chicago since 1861, will move its U.S. headquarters from its 100-year-old legacy space at 111 W. Monroe Street to a new 50-story namesake trophy tower adjacent to Union Station. Nearly 3,600 employees will occupy 495,000 square feet, or 14 floors, of the 50-story, 1.3 million-square-foot tower.

Understanding that BMO’s new leadership team was driving business transformation within the company, we sought ways to capitalize on the company’s growth and competitive advantage within Chicago and the Midwest. As we helped craft their vision, of utmost importance to BMO was the ability to attract and retain top talent. To accomplish this, JLL Consulting, along with BMO, developed a workplace blueprint that incorporated modern workplace design practices, improved efficiencies and enhanced collaboration. The plan is one that will help BMO attract the top talent of today and the workforce of tomorrow.

We also sought to enhance corporate branding efforts, so a deal was negotiated to secure highly coveted exterior corporate signage rights at the top of the tower, putting BMO in select company across the Chicago skyline. On the ground floor, a state-of-the-art branch will also incorporate the latest banking innovations, offering BMO clients a single location to interact with employees across the bank’s diverse businesses.

The move is the beginning of a new chapter for BMO Harris, and the new headquarters will be a centerpiece of the neighborhood transformation taking place in Chicago’s near West Loop, anchored in part by the Union Station modernization. The monumental project is creating more than 5,100 construction jobs and even incorporates a 1.5-acre public park west of the tower — one of the central business district’s largest public spaces—that will benefit BMO Harris employees for generations to come.