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 (Crain’s) — Looking to extend its hot streak of winning local public-sector work, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. has hired a real estate veteran who once worked on the redevelopment of Times Square.
Karen Butler
Hiring Karen Butler as a managing director in the public institutions group is part of a continued push to win more government work for a firm whose local assignments already include the Chicago Transit Authority’s sprawling real estate holdings and the possible redevelopment of ...
 (Crain’s) — Until recently real estate's version of a bond buyer, Jeffrey Rothbart is loooking to become a vulture investor.
Jeffrey Rothbart Mr. Rothbart, a 32-year-old tax lawyer with family ties to local developer Alter Group Ltd., late last month launched Superior Street Capital LLC, where he will target distressed retail, apartment and office buildings owned in a legal structure called tenant-in-common (TIC.)
The new venture is an abrupt change in investment strategy for Mr. ...
(Crain’s) — A former McKinsey & Co. partner who worked with food industry clients hopes to land a $3-million city subsidy for his plan to provide better restaurants and produce in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
Bernard Loyd Bernard Loyd — whose five MIT degrees include a doctorate in aerospace engineering — quit his job six years ago at the consulting powerhouse to pursue his dream of a commercial development in Bronzeville. He wants to convert a vacant building into a produce ...
 (Crain’s) — A “deal junkie” from Waterton Associates LLC and a college buddy who’ll try to round up money for deals are teaming up to buy distressed apartment projects.
Adam Levine, left, and Richard Wise The venture reunites Richard Wise, who spent eight years at apartment owner Waterton, and Adam Levine, whose father, Leonard G. Levine, is a veteran of Chicago commercial real estate.
Messrs. Wise and Levine launched Deerfield-based Oak Residential Partners LLC in August. ...
 (Crain’s) — Two veterans of the Daley administration and prominent real estate firms have joined forces, heading a small commercial brokerage that’s developing a niche in disadvantaged areas, which have been particularly hard hit by the tough leasing market.
David Ariola, left, and Christopher Hill Former city planning commissioner Christopher Hill and former U.S. Equities Realty executive David Ariola teamed up earlier this year at Chicago Realty Co., whose clients range from MB ...
(Crain’s) — Real estate financier John Nikolich, who relishes competing against bigger firms, could find the frozen capital market a tougher foe as he tries to raise $75 million for a new HSA Commercial Real Estate venture seeking to buy industrial properties.
John Nikolich Mr. Nikolich’s little-known firm, Flint Creek Partners LLC, beat out 11 other companies in July to win the fundraising assignment from Chicago-based HSA.
“His shop is more David than Goliath,” ...
 (Crain’s) — Three former executives of recruiter Carlyle Group Ltd. have started a new search firm focusing on commercial real estate, as their previous company liquidates in the wake of a failed plan to reduce its reliance on the industry.
Ward Feste, from left, Larry Loubet and Jon Schultz
Ward Feste, Larry Loubet and Jon Schultz co-founded Peregrine Group LLC in mid-June. The Chicago firm will focus for now on filling openings in real estate, construction and architecture.
At ...
KINNEY'S LUXURY BOX
Jim Kinney
Age: 59
New title: Vice-president of luxury home sales, Baird & Warner.
Education: English degree from Northwestern.
Hobbies: Collects walking sticks and has a 43-foot sailboat on Monroe Harbor.
(Crain’s) — Jim Kinney, the longtime president of Rubloff Residential Properties, has jumped to Baird & Warner in the wake of Rubloff’s acquisition this month by a rival, as the competition intensifies among brokerage firms selling high-priced ...
 (Crain’s) — Real estate finance veteran Cheri Grossman now is leading acquisitions for an investment firm headed by Harry and Charles Huzenis, joining the stampeding herd of those seeking to buy distressed property.
Cheri Grossman
Ms. Grossman’s role at startup JRG Capital Partners LLC will be to find properties priced from $5 million to $100 million. Opportunities for investing in distressed assets are expected to grow in the next couple years, but given the high level of ...
(Crain’s) — Despite the dramatic slowdown in commercial real estate investment, Eastdil Secured LLC has bolstered its Chicago team by hiring a veteran suburban office building broker.
Gary Nussbaum starts work Sept. 28 at Eastdil, joining prominent broker Stephen Livaditis, whom he has known since the early 1990s, when they were both up-and-coming brokers.
Mr. Nussbaum, who turns 48 on Friday, comes to Eastdil from commercial real estate brokerage Transwestern, where he headed ...
CARLEY CAPSULE
Barbara Carley
Age: 48
Title: managing director and regional lead in investor services, Cushman & Wakefield Inc.
Education: Bachelor's degree from Valparaiso University, attended Harvard Kennedy School of Government for two years.
Past life: General manager of Sears Tower in 2004-2005.
Fast track: A Nascar and Indy car fan who road-tips to races in her motor home.
(Crain’s) — A veteran property management executive who used to run the ...
 (Crain’s) — A Detroit-area native who grew up in a home his father built has been tapped to head the Chicago operations of the newly combined Pulte Homes Inc. and Centex Corp.
Steve Atchison
Steve Atchison, 40, was named president of Illinois/Michigan for Pulte Homes last month when Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Pulte bought Centex in a $1.3-billion deal that created the nation’s biggest homebuilder.
The acquisition also makes Pulte the market leader in Chicago, based on number ...
 (Crain’s) — A college music major is looking to pick up commercial properties for a song.
Michael Nortman, left, and Adam Firsel Michael Nortman founded Crossroads Development Partners LLC early last year. Despite locked-up credit markets and reluctant sellers, the Wilmette startup has managed to get involved in several notable deals, including buying a stake last month in a nearly half-empty office building in Schaumburg.
Mr. Nortman, 37, who majored in music and sang in choirs at ...
 (Crain’s) — The intensifying battle between Chicago and Orlando for convention business has gotten personal.
David J. Sargent
The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau earlier this month announced it has hired away hotel industry veteran David J. Sargent, 48, from its rival agency in Orlando, Fla., where for about two years Mr. Sargent worked as a senior vice-president of sales and marketing.
At CCTB, Mr. Sargent is taking a newly created position as senior vice-president heading the ...
HOLSTEN HIGHLIGHTS
Peter Holsten
Age: 60
Title: President of Chicago-based Holsten Real Estate Development Corp.
Education: Mechanical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin; MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Chicago.
A key deal: The $151-million mixed-used Wilson Yard in Uptown, which when completed next year is to include a 180,000-square-foot Target Corp. store and 178 affordable and senior housing units.
Hobbies: Gardening and downhill skiing. ...
 (Crain’s) — A commercial mortgage brokerage team led by Joel Simmons and Steven Roth has joined Grubb & Ellis Co. as the company pushes to become a bigger player in the competitive investment sales market.
Joel Simmons, left, and Steven RothThe six-person group, formerly with Cohen Financial, joins Grubb six months after the company snared a local high-profile investment sales brokerage team from Cushman & Wakefield Inc.
The additions of Messrs. Simmons and Roth, both 25-year veterans ...
POWERS POINTS
Michael Powers
Age: 34
Title: Director of industrial investments at Milwaukee-based Towne Investments, the commercial real
estate arm of Zilber Ltd.
Education: Economics degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A key deal: At First Industrial Realty Trust Inc., he played a key role in development of a 600,000-square-foot distribution center in Kenosha, Wis., for Rust-Oleum Corp.
Hobbies: Spent a year after college traveling, hitting every continent ...
GUNDERSON GRAB BAG
Mark Gunderson
Age: 46
Title: Senior vice-president in the product leasing group at Chicago-based developer John Buck Co.
Education: Finance degree from Indiana University.
A key deal: At Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., represented BP Amoco PLC in 1999 when the energy giant subleased
515,000 square feet of office space to Aon Corp. at what was then known as the Amoco Building, 200 E. Randolph St.
Hobbies: Golfing and downhill skiing
(Crain’s) — ...
WORDS ON WOODHOUSE
David Woodhouse
Age: 61
Title: Founder and design principal at Chicago-based David Woodhouse
Architects LLC.
Education: Bachelor's degree from University of Illinois.
Notable commission: Designed the four visitor pavilions at Grant Park's Buckingham
Fountain.
Hobby: Has appeared in more than 500 performances as a member of the Lyric Opera of
Chicago’s supernumerary corps, opera’s version of a movie extra.
Note: This story has been corrected to ...
 (Crain’s) — Richard P. Kiphart has bet on long shots before, but the William Blair & Co. senior executive’s $30-million personal investment in an unproven company that “greens up” older buildings could be his biggest gamble yet.
Three years into Mr. Kiphart’s tenure as chairman of Lime Energy Co., the Elk Grove Village-based energy consulting firm has yet to turn a profit, losing $13 million last year on revenue of $57.2 million. The company is just a sidelight for Mr. Kiphart, ...
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