There is still time to apply for the Fall 2022 semester! Click here to apply as an undergraduate. Click here to apply to the Master’s in Real Estate, MSRE, program.
Scholarship applications are due July 15. Click here to learn about and apply for scholarships for our undergraduate, graduate or certificate programs.
For more information, contact Collete English Dixon, executive director of Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at cenglishdixon@roosevelt.edu or 312-341-3767.
Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate (MBIRE) won first place in the Graduate Division of the 12th annual Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation Real Estate Challenge, which culminated with final presentations on Saturday, April 23, at Wintrust, 231 S. LaSalle St. in Chicago.
The challenge tasked students with creating a redevelopment plan for Johnny’s IceHouse East, the 51,500-square-foot former home of the Chicago Blackhawks’ practice rink located at 1350 W. Madison St. in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
MBIRE was among five graduate-level teams from universities across the country to participate in the program. As the grand prize winner, MBIRE was awarded $5,000 in scholarships, made possible by Wintrust Commercial Real Estate, toward its real estate program.
The winning MBIRE proposal, The Capsule, was presented by the school’s Windy City Development team and calls for transforming the building to create a lobby, 41-vehicle parking lot, 2,000-square-foot tech school and 6,000-square-foot bitcoin mining space on the first floor; a 16,800-square-foot e-gaming arena and 3,200-square-foot restaurant on the second floor; and additional space for e-gaming stations and dining on the third-floor mezzanine. The total project cost of The Capsule is $25.9 million.
MBIRE’s Windy City Development team included Trace McGuire (team lead), Brett Berlin, Leila Gathogo Win, Tyler Hanson, Alexandra Martello, Tatiana Nagornova, Michael Penicnak, Pamela Sánchez Muñoz, Jennifer Warfield and Ryan Watt.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team,” said Jon Dennis of UrbanStreet Group, who along with Andrew Savoy of CA Ventures, serve as adjunct professors at MBIRE and advisers for the team. “They performed a full market analysis to repurpose this building in a way that is exciting and forward-thinking. This competition gave them a taste of what it’s like to be a developer.”
According to the Eisenberg Foundation, the winning plan is the most economically viable and complementary to the unique uses surrounding the site. The Real Estate Challenge commences early in the year and culminates in April, when the student teams’ presentations are judged by a panel of professionals.
Supporters of the 2022 Challenge included Wintrust Commercial Real Estate, Bradford Allen and Johnny’s Icehouse.
Lori Healey is leading work to build and operate the OPC – a 19.3-acre campus within Jackson Park – that includes a presidential museum, auditorium, restaurant, retail store, fruit and vegetable garden, playground, lush parkland and greenspace, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.
In December 2020, Lori Healey joined the Obama Foundation as Senior Vice President and Operations and Implementation Lead for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC). She is leading work to build and operate the OPC, a 19.3-acre campus within Jackson Park, that includes a Presidential Museum, Auditorium, Restaurant, retail store, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, playground, lush parkland and greenspace, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.
She previously served as President of Clayco’s Chicago Business Unit. In that role, she led enterprise activity for development, design, and construction related activities in the greater Chicago area and surrounding region. Prior to joining Clayco, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), owner of McCormick Place and the 1,258 room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. During her tenure, Ms. Healey oversaw the development of the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena and the 1,205-room Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Ms. Healey served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tur Partners LLC (“Tur”), a firm founded by Chicago’s former Mayor Richard M. Daley, which partnered with leaders and innovators to drive growth within global urban markets. She also served as Principal in the Development Group for the John Buck Company, focused on growing the firm’s private real estate and infrastructure-related transactions.
Ms. Healey coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, acting as Director of the NATO Host Committee. Additionally, in 2009, Ms. Healey was appointed as President of Chicago 2016, where she was responsible for co-leading Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games.
Ms. Healey held several senior leadership positions for the City of Chicago under the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley, most recently acting as Mayor Daley’s Chief of Staff. She earlier served as Commissioner of the City’s Department of Planning and Development. Her previous experiences also included time as a principal at Perkins + Will, and as Deputy Director for Business Development of the (then) Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs. She began her career as a policy aide to former Governor John Carlin of Kansas in 1983.
Ms. Healey holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Public Administration from Kansas State University. She serves on the Boards of Civic Consulting Alliance, Local Initiatives Support Chicago (LISC), Chicago Sports Commission, the Chicago Fire Department Foundation and the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. She is also an advisory board member of the Loyola University Health System and on the Corporate Advisory Council for Cradles to Crayons. Ms. Healey is also a member of the Economics Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Anthony “Tony” Pasquinelli, together with his brother Bruno, co-founded Pasquinelli Construction Company in 1958. Over 50 years, the Burr Ridge, Ill.-based company built 45,000 homes across 13 metro markets in 13 states, rising to its pinnacle in the early 2000s, when it became the fifth-largest private homebuilding company in the country.
Pasquinelli’s passion for real estate and higher education led him to become one of the co-founders of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate (MBIRE). He joined Roosevelt University’s Board of Trustees in 2000, continued his service as a public trustee until 2014 and remained a life trustee. In 2006, he and his family established the Pasquinelli Family Distinguished Chair in Real Estate, an endowed faculty position at MBIRE, and in 2009, the Pasquinelli Family Heritage Room, a study room located adjacent to the school’s library.
“Tony was more than just an industry leader and supporter of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate,” said Collete English Dixon, executive director of MBIRE. “He was a generous sharer of his time, talent and treasure to make sure that our program and the outcomes for our students were the strongest possible.”
Pasquinelli was influential in the development of Roosevelt’s downtown vertical campus, generously supporting both the Wabash Building and Goodman Center projects. The Chicago College of Performing Arts and the Auditorium Theatre were also beneficiaries of his generosity.
Pasquinelli, 88, died Sunday, April 17, at his home, according to his son, Joseph Pasquinelli, who is principal of Archideas, as well as an advisory board member of MBIRE and a member of the board of trustees for Roosevelt University.
Born in Chicago to first-generation Italian American parents, Pasquinelli attended Lindbloom High School and the University of Illinois, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Drafted into the Army in 1956, he lived in Fort Lee, Virg., for two years before co-founding the construction company.
Pasquinelli lost the love of his life, Mary Ann Pasquinelli, née Roche, after 57 years of marriage on November 2, 2017. He is survived by his seven children, Joseph, Maria, David, Anthony, Ellen Bergersen, Anne-Marie Trnka and Joan Van Beest; his brothers, Bruno, Jim and Michael; 16 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Pasquinelli were held Wednesday, April 20, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in La Grange. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, Ill., 60601, are appreciated.
The Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate has the country’s most diverse body of real estate students. The graduate and undergraduate programs at MBIRE successfully connect diverse students with resources, opportunities and internships at top CRE companies. Executive Director Collete English Dixon weighs in on the challenges to developing diverse talent and leaders for the commercial real estate industry in this Bisnow story.
Collete English Dixon, executive director of MBIRE, recently explained to GlobeSt. how women of color use networking to help break down racial and gender barriers in the industry. Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate offers several opportunities for students to network with leaders in the commercial real estate industry. Click here to read English Dixon’s networking tips.
The Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at Roosevelt University (MBIRE) announced that DL3 Realty, a Chicago-based minority-owned development firm, has established a new DL3 Realty Impact Scholarship Fund that will award $10,000 in scholarships annually to underrepresented students pursuing a graduate certificate in real estate development. Two qualified applicants to the certificate program will be awarded $5,000 each, beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.
“DL3 Realty’s generous support will make graduate-level commercial real estate knowledge accessible to professionals of color, allowing them to reach their career potential in an industry that has long been challenged by a lack of diversity,” said Collete English Dixon, executive director of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate.
In fall 2020, MBIRE launched two graduate certificate programs: Real Estate Finance & Investment and Real Estate Development. These new post-baccalaureate options were created due to the demand from professionals wanting to advance their skills without having to make a two-year commitment to pursuing a graduate degree. An MBIRE certificate can be completed in two semesters, taking two courses each semester. Classes are scheduled in the evenings to make it easier for students working during the day.
“I know firsthand how hard it can be for a person of color to break into commercial real estate, so I want to help minority students, especially those committed to community development,” said Leon Walker, Esq., managing partner of DL3 Realty, a firm that has invested more than $100 million toward real estate developments in some of Chicago’s neediest neighborhoods over the past few years. “I am passionate about mentoring our scholarship recipients on our ‘venture development’ approach, which includes partnering with private investors, local authorities and community organizations to transform historically disinvested communities through inclusive development.”
Professionals with a bachelor’s degree, and preferably with a background in commercial real estate, can apply now for MBIRE’s graduate certificate program and the new scholarship for the fall 2021 semester.
Following are additional guidelines and criteria for the DL3 Realty Impact Scholarship Fund:
“Our ultimate goal is to create a cohort of DL3 Realty ‘Impact Scholars’ that would be comprised of at least four to eight students,” Walker said. “But to achieve that we need additional commitments of at least $10,000. There’s been a lot of talk about moving the needle in CRE diversity, and this is one tangible opportunity for other real estate firms to make that a reality.”
Walker is also offering students use of one of DL3’s development projects as the students’ “community project,” which is a graduation requirement. Other plans for the cohort include either guest lectures from the developer sponsors or two to four “lunch and learn” sessions with the developers during the academic year.
Last year, MBIRE honored Walker with the 2020 Changemaker Award at its 19th annual and first virtual Real Estate Gala. “We want to create a new narrative around what it means to be engaged in communities of color and how we execute uplifting investments that provide both financial rewards as well as a positive social impact,” says Walker. “Our projects bring light, opportunity and hope, which inspires people to take different steps and make positive choices.”
For students who do want to continue their studies, the graduate certificate in real estate development completes more than 50% of the credits needed to complete a master’s in real estate degree at MBIRE.
In this Bisnow story, Rachel Horwath and Caden Fosnaugh, who both graduated with a bachelor’s degree in real estate from Roosevelt University in Spring 2022, discuss on how the CRE industry’s talent pipeline should make more inroads into undergraduate education.
Connect CRE reported in May 2021 that the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at Roosevelt University (MBIRE) announced the winners of three scholarships awarded to students during the spring 2021 semester, including a newly created scholarship from the Lincoln Park Builders of Chicago. The recipients include two graduate students, Marco Sepulveda and Angela Azmitia, and one undergraduate student, Trace McGuire.
“Over the past year, there’s definitely been a heightened awareness from many highly regarded companies and organizations in recognizing the need for more women and people of color in the commercial real estate field – and that road to success can start with a quality real estate education at MBIRE,” said Collete English Dixon, MBIRE executive director.
The inaugural $5,000 Lincoln Park Builders of Chicago Graduate Scholarship went to Sepulveda, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE). The Teresa and Hipolito Roldan Scholarship Fund for Tomorrow’s Hispanic Leaders in Community Development and Real Estate awarded a $5,000 scholarship to Angela Azmitia, a first-year graduate student pursuing an MSRE.
The third scholarship, a $7,500 award from the James and Brenda Grusecki and Northern Builders, Inc., Scholarship for Future Leaders in Real Estate, went to undergraduate student McGuire, a junior majoring in real estate.
Intellig
ent.com recently ranked the Master of Science in Real Estate Program at the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate as one of the Top 50 MSRE programs in the U.S. The website also named MBIRE as having the “Most Recognized Faculty.” A big thanks to our esteemed instructors like (clockwise from top left) Stephen Friedman, Jeff Bramson, Jonathan Dennis, and Linda Kanoski, AIA, LEED AP, who impart their real-world real estate knowledge to our students!