Motorola moving 3,000 employees from Libertyville to Chicago - My50 Chicago - Television - WPWR

Motorola moving 3,000 employees from Libertyville to Chicago

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CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -

When Motorola signed a tax incentive deal last year with the state promising to remain in Illinois, many in Libertyville figured the future of their fancy, high-tech campus was secure.

They were stunned to hear that Motorola Mobility is staying in Illinois, alright, but at a new home on the Chicago River and Libertyville's now scrambling to replace 3,200 jobs.

"We've got a lot to offer," said Libertyville Village President Terry Weppler. "And things that Chicago can't offer: our crime rate is much lower than the city's. We haven't had any murders this year. We have great parks. We have great schools."

But Chicago will soon have Google's Motorola Mobility -- a combination of high-tech corporate brand names recognized around the world.  City Hall said it offered no financial incentives beyond what the State of Illinois negotiated last year.  What tipped the balance? The thousands of talented college graduates who flock to Chicago every spring.

"This is a place you can recruit the best talent," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "We have the University of Illinois. We have DePaul. We have the University of Chicago, Northwestern, IIT put a new innovation campus just last week. We have our two national labs, with Fermi and Argonne. This is where you can get the best talent, with the best quality of life."

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