Recent personnel moves and corporate activity in the Chicago and Midwest commercial real estate markets highlight ongoing repositioning among brokerages, management firms and developers.
Lee & Associates reported two senior promotions within its Illinois operations. Matthew Androwich advanced from senior associate to vice president in the firm’s industrial brokerage group. Since joining Lee & Associates of Illinois in 2023, Androwich has focused on assisting both private and institutional tenants and owners with leasing, acquisitions and development assignments involving industrial properties across the region. The firm also elevated Tony Russo from senior vice president to executive vice president. Russo brings more than 26 years of suburban Chicago commercial real estate experience, concentrating on office, medical and flex assets.
At residential brokerage and services firm Baird & Warner, leadership changes include the appointment of Lucy Baird as chief stewardship officer and vice chair of the board. Baird has spent the last decade involved in the company’s operations as its historian and through oversight of Good Will Works, Baird & Warner’s philanthropic arm. The company also named Laura Ellis chief revenue officer. In this expanded role, Ellis will oversee revenue generation across brokerage, mortgage and title business lines.
Colliers | Kansas City added industry veteran Jeannette Vahle as managing director of real estate management services. Vahle brings more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience spanning property management, asset services and operations leadership. Most recently, she served as regional manager of the Aspiria Campus for Occidental Management, a firm focused on development, leasing and property management. Her earlier career includes nine years with Cushman & Wakefield as managing director of asset services and more than seven years with Copaken Brooks, where she concentrated on property and relationship management.
On the multifamily side, Marquette Management has added The Pavilion to its portfolio. The 1,115-unit apartment community was recently acquired by R.I.G. Capital in what is described as the Chicago area’s largest apartment sale so far this year. The Pavilion is located at 5441 N. East River Road within the Chicago city limits, minutes from O’Hare International Airport.
In a separate residential initiative, a joint venture between Chicago-based Habitat and M/I Homes of Chicago has closed on the former Solo Cup Company site in Highland Park, Ill. The partners plan to develop The Bowery of Highland Park, a for-sale townhome community totaling 227 residences. The approximately 28-acre vacant property at 1700 Old Deerfield Road is slated to be transformed into a residential neighborhood featuring townhomes, preserved open space, landscaped parkways and community amenities.
