Real Estate Challenge
The HEEF Midwest Real Estate Challenge was designed to provide students with a hands-on opportunity to apply what they are learning in their university courses to the real working world of real estate. Each team is paired with volunteer advisors, all of whom are leading Chicago real estate professionals. The student teams are challenged to create a development plan for a particular site. The teams, along with their advisors, determine what should be built on the property and provide a full analysis explaining their building plan as well as the effects their plan would have on the community.
The winning plan is the most economically viable and most complementary to the unique uses of the surrounding site. The teams’ presentations are judged by a panel of professionals.
The winning team’s university is awarded a $4,000 scholarship. In addition, the winning team receives a trophy and recognition at HEEF’s Annual Dinner, which attracts nearly 500 of the nation’s real estate executives.
The 2013 Real Estate Challenge focused on Sears Holding’s 33-acre site at 62nd and Western Avenue in the Marquette Gardens/Chicago Lawn neighborhood on Chicago’s south side. The competition and was won by the team from Roosevelt University, comprised of students comprised of students Moruf Animashaun, Karlen Beitman, Jessica Caffrey, Holly Kavis, David Lambiaso, Nida Mehtab, Chase Morris, Sarah Rothman, Andrew Savoy, and Drakia Wilkins. The 2013 competition was judged by Curt Bailey, President of Related Midwest; Cortez Carter, Managing Deputy Commissioner at the City of Chicago’s Department of Aviation; Al Klairmont, Imperial Realty President; and Micah Maidenberg, Crain’s Chicago Business Reporter. To view Roosevelt University’s winning presentation, click here. Please note that the proposed project was independently produced as part of the HEEF case competition and does not represent the views of Sears Holdings or any of its affiliates, etc.
The 2012 Real Estate Challenge focused on the former US Steel Southworks site in Chicago and was won by the team from Marquette University, comprised of students Maggie Brueggen, Nick Koglin, Kyle McElwee and Joe McWeeney. The 2013 competition was judged by David Doig, President of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, and former head of the Chicago Park District, First Deputy Commissioner at Chicago Department of Planning, and Deputy Commissioner Department of Housing; Alby Gallun, Reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business; and Lee Reid, Architect and President of Revere Properties.
The 2011 Real Estate Challenge focused on the former Cabrini-Green public housing projects in Chicago and was won by the team from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, comprised of students Matt Lesh, Kyle Pietila, Briana Dunne, Connor Matthews, Cheng Wang, Jenna Goebig and Taylor Douell. The 2011 competition was judged by Thomas A. Corfman, Assistant Managing Editor at Crain’s Chicago Business, Linda Brace, Vice President of Real Estate Development at Mercy Housing Lakefront, and Laurel Lipkin, Principal of LL Consulting.