Six projects, two programs and one young visionary were announced as winners at the 8th annual Urban Land Institute Chicago Vision Awards. The Vision Awards honor projects and programs that reflect creative development practices, inventive partnerships, sharing of resources, imaginative problem solving and visionary ideas contributing to the growth of vibrant communities in our region.
“We are proud to recognize the visionary work that is being accomplished in our region,” said Mary Ludgin, managing director and head of global research, Heitman, and chair of ULI Chicago. “Our 2019 winners exemplify ULI’s mission of building community—of bringing together public, non-profit and private sector partners in creating places that are dynamic, and are truly visionary in how they have responded to their community’s unique needs.”
The 2019 Vision Awards winners were named at an event held yesterday at Rockwell on the River in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. At the conclusion of the awards program, Ludgin and executive director Cindy McSherry thanked the wide range of winning projects, programs and individuals for the time and hard work they contribute to make the region healthier, sustainable and more livable.
There were two winners in the program category: Carling SRO and Renew Woodlawn. Carling SRO is the first SRO sold under the City of Chicago’s 2014 SRO Preservation Ordinance, developed by The Michaels Organization, designed by Landon Bone Baker Architects (LBBA) and with MacRostie Historic Advisors acting as historic consultant. A collaboration between Preservation of Affordable Housing, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago and Community Investment Corporation, Renew Woodlawn reclaimed vacant, foreclosed single-family homes and two-flats in the Woodlawn neighborhood.
In the Young Visionary category, Sara Disney Haufe, associate at Sam Schwartz, was honored; during her 14-year career as a transportation consultant, she has delivered solutions to clients in the public and private sectors on a variety of project types, including residential, commercial and industrial developments. There were also six separate projects recognized at the 2019 Vision Awards.
Developers Brinshore Development and The Michaels Organization tapped architecture firm LBBA for the City Gardens project at 312 S. Maplewood Avenue, Chicago, which won in the Affordable Housing & Community Creation category. Winning in the Visionary Manufacturing category was Optimo Hat Company at 1700 W. 95th Street, Chicago; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) led the design turning a 100-year old decommissioned firehouse into a hat manufacturing and design studio.
Park West Cooperative Nursery School at 2214 N. Bissell Street, Chicago won in the Historic Adaptive Reuse category; architecture firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners, structural engineers Kibler-AE LLC, civil engineers Eriksson Engineering Associates, MEP/FP engineers WSP and landscape designers Daniel Weinbach & Partners cooperated on this project. In the Affordable Housing & Visionary Collaboration category, developer Related Midwest, architecture firm SOM and interior architect NIA Architects won for Taylor Street Apartments & Little Italy Library at 1342 W. Taylor Street, Chicago.
For Historic Restoration, Unity Temple Restoration at 875 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois was the winner; developer UTP and restoration architects Harboe Architects helped bring this Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece back to life and likely helped the property to recently be named a UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Site. Architecture firm Farr Associates, structural engineer Stearn Joglekar and general contractor Mortenson were all acknowledged in the Excellence in Environmentally Sensitive Design and Community Engagement category for their work on the University of Chicago Keller Center, located at 1307 E. 60th Street in Chicago.