The iconic burger-maker McDonald's is planning a move from Oak Brook to Chicago's West Town neighborhood, a bold move that is part of an effort to transform the company. The company will move by spring 2018 to the former site of Oprah Winfrey 's Harpo Studios on Randolph Street, home to the talk show for 25 years. About 2,000 McDonald's corporate employees may come along for the ride.

McDonald's is the latest in a string of high-profile moves from the suburbs to the city, following Motorola Solutions , Kraft Heinz, Hillshire Brands and ConAgra . Commercial real estate services firm CBRE keeps track of the moves, now numbering more than 50 since 2007. A peak year was 2012, which saw 13 companies coming downtown and making a 1.2 million-square-foot footprint. Schaumburg leads as the suburb with the most moves: Five companies have left for Chicago, including Motorola Solutions.