Visionaries of Real Estate Gain Recognition through Creative Thinkers Awards
CHICAGO, IL – February 16, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Four real estate visionaries took top honors for creativity and thinking outside the box in the recent Creative Thinkers Awards ceremony, presented by The Counselors of Real Estate’s North/South Carolina Chapter in Charlotte.
Winners included:
- Ballantyne Corporate Park in south Charlotte, N.C. (Edward Curran, president and CEO and H.C. Bissell, Chairman, The Bissell Companies) — for a growth initiative that added 800,000 square feet of office space;
- A more than 700,000 square foot east coast distribution facility for medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Company (Ken Beuley, CFO and director of development, and Alan Lewis, industrial and office development partner, The Keith Corporation, Charlotte);
- A new mixed-use development in Raleigh, which “recycled” the old North Hills Mall into a combination of retail, office, condo and hotel space, creating the city’s “Midtown District” (John Kane, CEO and chairman, Kane Realty Corp.); and
- The North Carolina Museum of Art, Dr. Larry Wheeler, director, for development of a new 127,000-square-foot home for its permanent collection, complete with 360 skylights to showcase the artwork (with layers of ultraviolet filters, louvers and shades to protect against exposure to direct sunlight).
Each project was reviewed by a panel of Counselors of Real Estate to assess innovation, complexity and leadership in thought and execution. This is the third annual “Creative Thinkers Award” competition developed by The Counselors of Real Estate’s North/South Carolina chapter, which represents members throughout the Carolinas.
“Highlighting such creativity honors commercial real estate executives and their clients for demonstrating insightful decision making and for their significant contributions to the real estate profession and their communities,” said Jody Odom, CRE, of Richard Odom and Associates, Rock Hill, S.C., the 2011 chapter chair. John J. Leary, CRE, president, Leary Counseling and Valuation, New Haven, Conn., spoke at the award ceremony, citing “the unique contributions to the regional real estate environment” made by the award winners.
More than 180 people attended the event, held in Charlotte.
The Counselors of Real Estate, established in 1953, is an international group of high profile professionals including members of prominent real estate, financial, legal and accounting firms as well as leaders of government and academia who provide expert, objective advice on complex real property situations and land-related matters. Membership is selective, extended by invitation only. The organization’s CRE (Counselor of Real Estate) credential is awarded to all members in recognition of superior problem solving ability in various areas of real estate counseling. For more information, contact The Counselors of Real Estate, 430 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; 312/329.8427; http://www.cre.org
