Walgreens to move 1,800 jobs to new Chicago office

June 15 (UPI) -- Walgreens announced Friday it will move 1,800 jobs to a new office in Chicago, the where the chain was originally founded in 1901.

In a statement, Walgreens said the new 200,000-square-foot office will be located in Chicago's Old Post Office building.

Monday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will help Walgreens employees unveil the office space.

"Walgreens was born in Chicago with one small pharmacy on the South Side, and their big new presence in one of our city's most iconic locations is a great way to look to the future," Emmanuel said.

Walgreens said the new location will help increase its presence in Chicago and hold the largest number of employees the chain has ever had in the city.

"Investing in our infrastructure and building our digital and technical capabilities are essential elements of our business transformation strategy, as we work to improve access for our customers and enhance the customer experience," President Alex Gourlay said.

The move could help attract employees, particularly millennials. Walgreens said the move could also help "attract and retain the best talent."

When renovations are complete, the new office space will include digital and IT operations employees, as well as personnel for parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance.

The new location will not replace Walgreens' main headquarters in Deerfield, Ill., 25 miles north of Chicago.

Walgreens employs 4,500 people in 120 drug stores in the Chicago area.