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Curiosity is growing about which Wall Street banks will be the first to get out of proprietary trading or the private equity business as they restructure to come into compliance with new financial regulatory reform legislation. The Volcker Rule – named for former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker – limits banks from these practices and […]

A sign of Chicago’s River North neighborhood’s inherent commercial strength is the recent $165 million sale of the 424-room Westin River North Hotel at 320 North Dearborn Street.  The purchase price was approximately $389,000 per room, an excellent price considering that the hotel market nationally has struggled.  The price was 37 percent higher than Tishman […]

David Owen, a staff writer with The New Yorker, has expanded on his 2004 article entitled “Green Manhattan” that roughs up some of the environmental movement’s most closely held beliefs in a new book entitled Green Metropolis.  A review by Catherine Tumber, originally published in The Wilson Quarterly, notes that “Eco-friendly suburbanites and small-town residents […]

Although property investment – especially for trophy buildings – is coming back more strongly than industry analysts had anticipated, mid-tier properties are not yet enjoying a similar rebound.  According to Real Capital Analytics (RCA), properties valued at $20.6 billion were sold during the 2nd quarter of 2010, an 86 percent increase over last year. According […]

In Chicago’s – and one of the nation’s — largest commercial transactions of 2010, the 60-story, 1.3 million SF 300 North LaSalle Street skyscraper was sold for a whopping $655 million.  That adds up to $500 PSF. The buyer was KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II (KBS REIT II). The LEED Gold certified building, which […]

One company that is holding its own despite the shaky economy is Peoria, IL-based Caterpillar, Inc., which reported an enviable quarterly profit thanks to growth in emerging markets.  The world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment is benefiting from growing mining and energy operations with orders outpacing shipments to dealers.  Additionally, Caterpillar plans to […]

It’s surprising that the AIA still does not endorse LEED standards for green buildings.  There has been some progress in forming some kind of strategic alliance, but that is only in the area of advocacy, education and research.  There is still nothing concrete.  Nevertheless, the Architecture 2030 Bulletin and the AIA 2030 Commitment story are […]

There’s good news and bad news about the health of European banks.  Of the 91 financial institutions that recently underwent stress tests, only seven outright failed. Those seven who did not perform well were ordered to raise their capital by €3.5 billion (approximately $4.5 billion).  The number of failures were far less than what was […]

Legendary newscaster and elder statesman of political commentary Daniel Schorr died recently at age 93 following a brief illness.  Schorr, who spent the last 25 years of his long career as a senior news analyst with National Public Radio (NPR), aired his final broadcast on Saturday, July 10.  A journalist for more than 60 years, […]

With the passage of historic financial reform legislation, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is being given the authority to reshape bank regulations, oversee financial markets and create a consumer protection agency.  Few Treasury secretaries will wield this much influence once President Obama signs the new financial overhaul legislation passed by Congress. Geithner’s fingerprints are all over […]