News

Up Close with Howard Conant

June 4, 2014

The founder and chairman of Urban Innovations, Howard Conant Jr., has been influencing the world of real estate for more than 35 years. Howard loves hearing “That can’t be done,” then proving the naysayers wrong. From revitalizing River North loft buildings to redeveloping Section 8 senior housing, Howard looks forward to many more opportunities and challenges of urban renewal.

222 W Hubbard Awarded LEED Certification

November 12, 2013

In October 2013, the U.S Green Building Council awarded Urban Innovations’ 57,000 SF property at 222 West Hubbard Street LEED Core and Shell Certified, one of the first heavy timber loft office buildings in Chicago to earn the designation.

Women in CRE May Be Drawn to Social and Environmental Change

October 25, 2013

JoAnne Gottfried, Urban Innovations’ Vice President of Marketing, weighs in on the increasing number of women in Chicago real estate. “I’d like to think that one factor is the increasing realization that real estate development and management can be a powerful source of social and environmental change,” says Gottfried.

Monica Makin a Fan of Chicago’s Multi-Family Market

October 3, 2013

Monica Makin, Vice President of Acquisitions and Asset Management of Urban Innovations, is a fan of Chicago’s multi-family market. The number of renters flocking to hot Chicago neighborhoods is still on the rise. And, as Monica says, there’s no sign yet of a slowdown in the city’s multi-family demand.

Two New Commercial Acquisitions

May 31, 2013

Urban Innovations has re-acquired two office buildings in the West Loop’s Greektown neighborhood of Chicago totaling 150,000 square feet. Urban Innovations previously owned these properties and sold them in 2005 to a private investor.

UI bought the 60,000 square foot office building located at 833 West Jackson Boulevard along with the 90,000 square foot property at 322 South Green Street as a value-added investment. The buildings sit adjacent to one another, separated by a parking lot that services the properties.

New Affordable Senior Residential Acquisition

May 15, 2013

In May 2013, Urban Innovations acquired Prairie View Apartments, a 14-building, 84-unit affordable Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) senior housing community in Bellwood, IL. The property located at 3500 Georgina Lane, is a well-constructed, well-located property that represented a great acquisition opportunity fitting Urban Innovations’ overall affordable housing investment strategy.

For more information, read the article here.