CHICAGO—In a long-expected move, McDonald's Corp. this morning announced it will shift its global headquarters from suburban Oak Brook to downtown Chicago by the spring of 2018. Company officials just signed a lease at Sterling Bay's 1045 W. Randolph St., the former HARPO Studios , in the West Loop neighborhood and say they will transform the space into a modern setting that fosters collaboration and connectivity. "We are a brand on the move in more ways than one," said McDonald's president and chief executive officer Steve Easterbrook in a statement. “ Moving our headquarters to Chicago is another significant step in our journey to build a better McDonald's. This world-class environment will continue to drive business momentum by getting us even closer to customers, encouraging innovation and ensuring great talent is excited about where they work." McDonald's left Chicago for Oak Brook in 1971, but now joins a long line of corporate giants, including ConAgra , Motorola Solutions , and many others, that have migrated to the CBD in search of younger workers that don't find suburban life very appealing. “McDonald's looks forward to returning to the Chicago community where we started and to building together the next chapter of success in the history of this great company," said Rick Hernandez , the company's chairman of the board. "Today's announcement is about more than just a new location for us. It is an important investment in our people as we look to create a start-of-the-art company headquarters they can use to move our business forward for many years to come." CHICAGO—In a long-expected move, McDonald's Corp. this morning announced it will shift its global headquarters from suburban Oak Brook to downtown Chicago by the spring of 2018. Company officials just signed a lease at Sterling Bay's 1045 W. Randolph St., the former HARPO Studios , in the West Loop neighborhood and say they will transform the space into a modern setting that fosters collaboration and connectivity. "We are a brand on the move in more ways than one," said McDonald's president and chief executive officer Steve Easterbrook in a statement. “ Moving our headquarters to Chicago is another significant step in our journey to build a better McDonald's. This world-class environment will continue to drive business momentum by getting us even closer to customers, encouraging innovation and ensuring great talent is excited about where they work." McDonald's left Chicago for Oak Brook in 1971, but now joins a long line of corporate giants, including ConAgra , Motorola Solutions , and many others, that have migrated to the CBD in search of younger workers that don't find suburban life very appealing. “McDonald's looks forward to returning to the Chicago community where we started and to building together the next chapter of success in the history of this great company," said Rick Hernandez , the company's chairman of the board. "Today's announcement is about more than just a new location for us. It is an important investment in our people as we look to create a start-of-the-art company headquarters they can use to move our business forward for many years to come."