Colleagues and vendors give high marks.

Scott Sarver President, DeStefano + Partners

What sets Related Midwest apart is their concern for the community. They are community builders. Their commitment to sustainability is unique to them, with three high-profile projects designed to be the first in the area to meet environmental certification standards. Their projects are very diverse. I’m working with them on a very unique project, Canyon Ranch Living – Chicago. Another of their significant projects is Roosevelt Square, a mixed income, affordable housing project -- they are helping to rebuild the city. Related Midwest and I share a common desire to create very high-quality projects. As an architect, I want to work on projects that have long-term value, that are liked by everyone around it. If it’s a loved building, it’ll be around for a long time. Related Midwest understands the importance of this. They have good foresight about real estate, more than a lot of firms. They put a lot more into their projects, and are more concerned about their reputation long-term. -- Many projects can be driven by spreadsheets – how much things cost.

They are an extremely talented, capable group of people, and they are easy to work with. I like them very much. In our industry, relationships can be adversarial. I’d like to see them get more credit for their community building and the stand they have taken on sustainability.

Dan Wheeler, FAIA Principal, Wheeler Kearns Architects

Related Midwest executives Kerry Dickson and Tom Weeks are exceptional professionals. The firm’s reputation is rock solid. I have a lot of respect for their opinions as professionals in the design/development/construction field. Their firm's "bandwidth" is stunning, spanning landmark restoration to new construction, from historically referenced to contemporary, from small strategic insertions to projects that effect the city scale.

In my opinion, they tend to hire good architects and manage their projects well, given many of their staff have been trained in architectural fields or are architects. They speak our language and understand our concerns and interests. We respect them for respecting us. What has most impressed me about them is the transparency of the information they provide and the way they stand behind things. In working with them on the Mayfair Regent project, we encountered a base-building waterproofing issue that might have been considered a gray area. Rather than pointing fingers, they took responsibility at considerable expense, and proactively worked with us as part of their team to develop a solution that would improve the longevity of the building. I couldn’t have imagined a more professional interaction. It is clear that maintaining strong end-user and architect relationships is important to them. They appear to be sincerely interested in building enlightened, quality communities and they have the potential to impact public policy for the better. Given their stature in the community, I hope that they become more outspoken in advocating for progressive change.

Bert Brandt Senior Project Manager, Bovis Lend Lease

The product Related Midwest strives to bring to the marketplace is fabulous, top-tier of what we see being built. They have very high expectations, and devote significant time and energy communicating that, and the architect’s intent in our pre-construction meetings. I appreciate their approach and what they understand about development. I value my relationship with Related Midwest, and the opportunities it has provided to my firm and me. Maintaining good relationships is important to Related Midwest. As a general contractor, I would consider Related Midwest a friend. They have a team philosophy. From the senior executives to the project managers, there’s a team relationship. They are very visible on their projects, very proactive, and when something comes up, they are there, responding to our calls. We are working with them now on a pretty special project, and they have four people on site full-time. We approach the project as a team. Our business can be difficult. It’s generally always-about time and money. When you can deal with a difficult issue as a team, there’s a quicker resolution, often beneficial to everyone. That makes my job easier, and impacts the quality of the finished product. There’s a better product when we can all take pride in the building.

Dan Rockafield Development Manager, The Habitat Company

I have a very collegial relationship with Related Midwest. They are great to work with. I can trust them. If they say something will be done, it will be done. I work with them on a daily basis – including people from their accounting, construction, community services and architectural staff. My firm is the receiver for the Chicago Housing Authority. We hired Related Midwest as our master developer for Roosevelt Square, a mixed income development. They are very professional, personable, and I enjoy working with them as people. They are head and shoulders above other developers in their preparedness and attention to details. They are very organized, proactive and manage their projects extremely well. It makes my side of the work easy. I have been able to move my projects with them along at a more rapid pace. In our work together, we must deal with many groups, including zoning boards, underground utility boards, the City of Chicago, community councils. They are not just prepared for these meetings and presentations, they are extremely organized, making sure all issues are addressed; all back channel approvals are taken care of. Whenever we encounter any obstacles, they are very professional. The work they are doing is having a tremendous impact on neighborhoods, public housing and people’s lives. This project is unlike anything that has been done here before. They’ve been very creative in their approach to design as well as on the financing side. They have helped the City to think in new ways about these types of projects, providing market research to demonstrate that the market is open to a project like this. What has surprised me about working with them is how I have learned from them.

Chris Semerau Branch Manager, Kohler Company

Related Midwest cares about their relationships and partnerships. We are working closely with them on several of their upcoming projects to help them create something special for their customers. One of the things that sets them apart is their strategic approach to their developments. They are helping us to think differently about how we can develop a closer relationship with our customers. They are helping us to be a better manufacturer.