McDonald's Corp., Oak Brook, Ill., announced plans to move of its corporate headquarters to downtown Chicago by the spring of 2018.

The company signed a lease at 1045 W. Randolph St. in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood.

"We are a brand on the move in more ways than one," says Steve Easterbrook, president and CEO. "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."

The move marks a return to Chicago where the company was headquartered from 1955-1971.

"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," adds Rick Hernandez, 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."

The new headquarters will also house Hamburger University, one of seven worldwide locations, providing a state-of-the-art learning center for the company's future leaders and employees.