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Page 6B — COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL — July 1-July 14, 2015
Today’s dynamic economic
environment presents the
commercial real estate
industry with both complex
challenges and unprecedented
opportunities. To seize those
opportunities, industry profes-
sionals need
sound mar-
ket-focused
real estate
experience.
As a young
professional
beginning
a career in
this business,
where do you
start?
In 2015,
31 graduate
students from
the University
of Colorado
Leeds School
of Business
and the
University
of Denver
Franklin L.
Burns School
of Real
Estate and
Construction
Management
Daniels
College of
Business knew
just what
would give
them an edge
– competing
in the NAIOP
Colorado
2015 Rocky
Mountain
Real Estate
Challenge,
presented by
Land Title Guarantee Co.
For the 13th year, NAIOP
Colorado hosted the premier
real estate event of the year fea-
turing the state’s best and bright-
est graduate students to evaluate
and make recommendations for
a development parcel located on
Brighton Boulevard in the River
North district, one of Denver’s
most active redevelopment
areas. The students formed
teams to compete against one
another for scholarships, future
employment and the NAIOP
Cup, awarded to the winning
school each year.
Following an intensive four-
month process, each school
held an internal competition
to determine who would repre-
sent their university at the May
7 event. Presenting first to a
panel of esteemed judges and
then in front of a crowd of more
than 750 industry professionals,
one finalist team from each of
these prestigious MBA programs
offered their redevelopment
ideas for Midtown Industrial
Center, owned by the Westfield
Co.
The students were judged on
their written redevelopment
plan, the formal judges’ pre-
sentation, including a grueling
Q&A held on the day of the
event, and the presentations
given to the evening audi-
ence. Judges for the event are
local real estate professionals
selected for their develop-
ment expertise and specific
knowledge and insight into
the project area. For the 2015
challenge, this esteemed group
included Mickey Zeppelin,
Zeppelin Development and
River North Denargo Brighton
Blvd. Association; Al Colussy,
gkkworks; Fiona Arnold, River
North Investment and executive
director of the Colorado Office
of Economic Development
and International Trade; Dorit
Makovsky Fischer, NAI Shames
Makovsky; Susan Powers, Urban
Ventures; Eric Tupler, HFF;
Charlie Woolley, St. Charles
Town Co.; Taryn Edwards,
Saunders Construction; and
Jamie Roupp, JLL.
The University of Denver
team, Visionary Partners, repre-
sented by Adelicia Colmenero,
Tyler Dumon, Erik Husted,
Jerad Larkin, Joe Larkin, Adam
Moore, Matthew Vernon and
Rebecca Wiener, claimed victory
as the winner of the 13th annual
Rocky Mountain Real Estate
Challenge. The DU team’s
development plan embraced a
vision of a Live-Work-Play-Create
community named RiNo Link.
This plan authentically enhances
the neighborhood by introduc-
ing Restaurant Row, Wynkoop
Alley and The Collaborative – a
collection of art galleries and
gardens, restaurants, flex space,
a brewpub, beer garden, gro-
cery, retail, office and hotel.
The runner-up, Mile Hi
Partners from CU, represented
by David Busch, McCall Perry,
Austin Roberts, Nick Russell,
Chris Winchester and Drew
Wunderlich, made a compelling
case for its development direc-
tion titled Midtown Station.
Both teams were praised
for their creative approach to
enhancing an already eclectic
area of Denver. Scholarships
were awarded to both the win-
ning and runner-up teams total-
Tim
Schlichting
Chair, 2015
NAIOP Rocky
Mountain Real
Estate Challenge
Schlichting is
a principal of
Littleton Capital
Partners in Littleton.
Stacy Stout
Chair, 2015
NAIOP Rocky
Mountain Real
Estate Challenge
Marketing
Committee
Stout is principal of
Stout Strategies in
Littleton.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REAL ESTATE CHAL LENGE
Photos by Susan English/Susan English Photography
The University of Denver’s winning team and faculty pose with the NAIOP Cup and a scholarship check. Also pictured at far right is Kevin
McClintock of Westfield Co.
The University of Colorado team addresses a crowd of more than 750 people.