When Taylor Johnson client Structured Developmentembarked on its latest venture, a 200,000-square-foot mixed-use development called The Shops at Big Deahl, it sparked interest in the firm’s history of executing high-profile projects throughout Chicago’s burgeoning Clybourn Corridor. Among them: NEWCITY, a massive 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development that, in the midst of the recession, took nearly a decade to complete. Knowing the project would make for a timely case study on the importance of patience and perseverance in real estate development, we pitched and secured a Q&A in Commercial Property Executive. Read the full story to learn why Structured’s Jeff Berta still considers NEWCITY the most challenging project he’s worked on in a career spanning nearly three decades.

The NEWCITY retail and residential complex includes 390,000 square feet of retail and office space and a 199-unit residential tower. (Photo: 2017 balloggphoto.com)