38th ANNUAL CHICAGO COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AWARDS

Development of the Year

2025-2026 Category Criteria

Applicable to all categories:

Must be within the calendar year 2025
Must be within the 17-county Chicago metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
Must have prepared only one Executive Summary for each Nomination

Multi-year winners are subject to the ONE YEAR MORATORIUM RULE** as stated on the awards home page.

This category recognizes a specific development project. The award considers the project's timing and design, as well as the special challenges faced in bringing the project to completion.

Specifically:

For this category, only one project may be referenced. (A developer or development team may submit multiple nominations in this category.)
Projects may be any commercial real estate asset type (e.g., Multi-Family, Office, Hospitality, Retail, Mixed-Use, Industrial, etc.) or civic / institutional development project. (e.g., Education, Civic, Healthcare, Institutional etc.).
Projects may include ground up new construction, adaptive reuse, etc.
Submission should include project size, location, % pre-leased / leased, tenant(s) and any other pertinent project description or background information.
Additional emphasis is placed on the project's economic impact on the community.
Pending number and type of nominations the category may be broken down into further development subsets.

Contact category captains Margie Baran and Marco Rodriguez if you have questions about category rules or your nomination's fit.

All fields marked with (*) are required.

If this submission is selected as a winner or finalist, we may follow up with questions about project listings, ordering awards, etc. Please provide the contact information below for the person best suited to field those requests:

Submitter First Name*

Submitter Last Name*

Submitter Email*

Phone Number*

Employer*

Nominee Name: (name or company name)*

Nominee Information: (Please include contact name, title, company name, address, phone and e-mail):*

How to be displayed: (How you would like the nomination to be titled and recognized on event materials?) *

Architect (Please include contact name, title, company name, address, phone and e-mail)*

General Contractor (Please include contact name, title, company name, address, phone and e-mail)*

Attorneys (Please include contact name, title, company name, address, phone and e-mail)*

As of 12/31/2025, please indicate percentage leased*

As of 12/31/2025, please indicate percentage occupied*

Building Date of Completion:*

Date Certificate of Occupancy Issued: (Must be issued within the calendar year 2025)*

Executive Summary: Please summarize your submission in 500 words or less. In the event the nominee becomes a Finalist, the Executive Summary will be the only document distributed to voters.

Your summary must include the following items:

Project Description: Please summarize why this Project should be nominated. Include the project description and scope of work, date completed / certificate of occupancy, % preleased / leased or % occupied as of 12/31/2025, project type, size, location/address, owner/s, architect, contractors, partners, and any key consultants.
Commercial Success: Please describe the reason(s) why the project is an economic success, including discussion on pre-leasing, current occupancy percentage and any other pertinent factors; if applicable.
Project Complexity: Please describe any significant issues or challenges affecting the project, discussion may include, but is not limited to financing, governmental involvement, leasing, zoning, etc.
Achievements / Innovation: Please describe the reasons this project should be considered for this award. Discussion points may include: any special achievements that the development project has solved for or solutions provided, innovative designs or amenities, if applicable, that were included to "future-proof" the project, etc.
Social / Community Impact: Please describe with specificity the positive impact the development project has on societal or community issues (at a local, state or national level). Include the anticipated goals of the project and describe the services/community benefits provided and the people/organizations served.

Nomination Checklist
In addition to the above responses, please ensure you have attached the necessary documents required for submission. Please see below what is required and the descriptions for each:

Photos: Nominees are required to provide company logo(s). Please submit high resolution (300 dpi) files below. Additionally, please submit up to four photographs (maximum 1MB each) of nominee projects, buildings, or headshots. All files must be appropriately named and cannot contain special characters. No additional collateral will be accepted.

Photo 1*

Name of the project, building or individual(s):

IMAGES LARGER THAN 1MB IN FILESIZE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH YOUR SUBMISSION
*

Photo 2

Name of the project, building or individual(s):

IMAGES LARGER THAN 1MB IN FILESIZE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH YOUR SUBMISSION

Photo 3

Name of the project, building or individual(s):

IMAGES LARGER THAN 1MB IN FILESIZE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH YOUR SUBMISSION

Photo 4

Name of the project, building or individual(s):

IMAGES LARGER THAN 1MB IN FILESIZE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH YOUR SUBMISSION

Logo 1*

IMAGES LARGER THAN 1MB IN FILESIZE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH YOUR SUBMISSION
*

Logo 2*

IMAGES LARGER THAN 1MB IN FILESIZE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL CAUSE ISSUES WITH YOUR SUBMISSION
*

I have read and understand the submission rules and regulations and attest that the nomination submitted here is in compliance with the said rules.

I acknowledge that the Blue Ribbon Panel has the right to solicit additional documentation as well as vet each individual submission.

By submitting this form I agree that any photo/rendering may be used by the Greater Chicago Food Depository or sponsors to promote the event.