It was an evening designed to honor the most successful, talented and committed members of the Illinois commercial real estate industry. It was also a night to celebrate the big deals, developments and milestones logged by industry professionals throughout a challenging time for commercial real estate.
And one more thing? It was a night devoted to rekindling with old friends and making new ones.
Illinois Real Estate Journal celebrated the industry during its fith annual real estate awards ceremony held June 5 at the O’Hare Hyatt Regency in Rosemont, Illinois.
More than 650 real estate professionals gathered at the Hyatt Regency to honor the industry’s top performers in the brokerage, design, development, engineering, legal, financial and construction industries.
A highlight of this year’s event was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement award to Albert M. Friedman, chairman and chief executive officer of Friedman Properties, Ltd.
Friedman has long been recognized as one of the top real estate developers in the country. He is also famed for the preservation work he has taken on in Chicago and for his contributions to the community. He is credited as one of the leaders responsible for the rejuvenation of Chicago’s River North neighborhood. It’s why Friedman has long been known as the unofficial mayor of River North.
Friedman made an impression during last week’s awards ceremony by leaving the stage and walking through the crowd, making sure that even those in the back of the hall were able to hear his comments. Another local celebrity, Lettuce Us Entertain You Enterprise’s founder and chief executive officer, Rich Melman, presented Friedman with his award.
Friedman Properties owns and manages more than 50 properties totaling more than 5 million square feet throughout the Chicago area. The company has been instrumental in the redevelopment and integration of 12 full city blocks.
A graduate of both Northwestern School of Business and DePaul University School of Law, Friedman’s accomplishments have been recognized by organizations ranging from the Chicago Bar Association to the National Conference for Community and Justice. His induction into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame is a testament to the impact Friedman has made on the city of Chicago.
Click on this link to see a complete list of this year’s winners. And for more photos of the ceremony, click on this link.
