Development

We represent mid-to-large sized developers, both public and private, in connection with major development projects throughout the world.  For these clients, we provide extensive development experience as well as complete development services.

The heart of our Real Estate Practice is development. We represent mid-to-large sized developers, both public and private, in connection with major development projects throughout the world.

We have assembled a complete team of highly-seasoned attorneys with extensive development experience, offering our clients the full suite of development services. Our group of professionals also includes attorneys with specialized expertise in areas such as land use, zoning, municipal finance and the taxation of real estate operating and development entities.

We advise our clients through every step of a real estate development project —from the acquisition of land through project structuring and equity syndication, entitlement, financing, construction, and refinancing or sale. The depth and breadth of our experience extends to all sectors of the real estate market, including retail, mixed-use, entertainment, hotel, industrial, office and large-scale residential projects.

We are proud to be associated with some of the country's most prominent and significant development projects.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Major development transactions that members of the Group have recently handled include representation of:

Commercial/Retail/Mixed-Use

  • A publicly traded real estate developer in connection with the negotiation of a multi-million dollar municipal financing package for an IKEA-anchored regional mall.
  • A nationally recognized liberal arts college in connection with its relocation, including the redevelopment of an industrial facility into a state-of-the-art educational campus.
  • A developer in the ground-up redevelopment of a famous site in a northern Chicago, Illinois suburb into a $150 million mixed-use urban in-fill town center project containing approximately 200,000 sq. ft. of retail, office, and entertainment uses, as well as a 160 room hotel.
  • A developer of a mixed-use project in downtown Bloomington, Illinois. The project consists of residential, hospitality and retail components. The project is integral to the redevelopment of the downtown Bloomington, Illinois business district.  
  • A developer in connection with the redevelopment of a former industrial site in Skokie, Illinois. A portion of the site was sold to Wal-Mart and the remainder of the site is occupied by retail shops and outlot retail occupants.

 Office and Medical Office

  • The development subsidiary of a publicly traded company in connection with the acquisition, development, and sale of 3.5 million square feet of suburban office building assets located throughout the country.
  • A physicians' group in connection with its acquisition of a medical office building within a decommissioned hospital campus. 
  • An international enterprise in connection with the development of its North American headquarters located in Schaumburg, Illinois. Projects included the development and negotiation of a complex build to suit lease, funding infrastructure and multiple construction contracts.

Condominium and Large-Scale Residential

  • The developer of the largest single-tower condominium project in the United States.
  • A national developer in connection with a multi-phase, $1.5 billion mixed-use master development project in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

Student Housing

  • A developer in connection with the negotiation of a 98 year ground lease and development of multi-family and/or student housing residence and tower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin containing not less than 178 apartment units.

Hotel

  • A private developer in connection with the annexation and entitlements for a 700,000-square foot hotel-anchored office development.
  • A development company in connection with land use, zoning, and other entitlement matters relating to a major suburban hotel and office development.
  • Counsel to a private real estate lender in connection with a $13 million loan for the construction of a hotel and the subsequent refinancing of the construction loan with industrial revenue bonds.

Industrial

  • A private developer in connection with the acquisition, financing (through debt and municipal incentives), and development of a 40-acre parcel in northern Illinois' "high tech corridor" for a 1.7-million-square-foot manufacturing and office facility.
  • A private developer in connection with the development, sale and leasing of a 1,600-acre air- industrial park in Ohio.
  • A developer in connection with the redevelopment of 45 acres of a massive former steel mill and industrial port in Baltimore, Maryland. Negotiating and documenting all infrastructures, common area and long-term ground lease agreements in a massive industrial redevelopment undertaking.

Entertainment

  • A private investment group in connection with the development of a themed entertainment facility in downtown Chicago, Illinois.
  • A developer of golf course and resort properties in connection with assemblages of land for resort development.