J. Michael Drew - Panelist/Impact Award Winner Founding Principal, Structured Development
As a founding principal of Structured Development, LLC, J. Michael Drew has been engaged in the real estate development and construction management business for nearly 40 years.
Throughout his career, Michael has had extensive experience in all phases of the construction process, especially scheduling of labor forces and subcontractors and comparative purchasing of material and equipment. Notable projects completed include City Hall lobby and entrance renovations, Marshall Field and State of Illinois Pedways, Clark/Lake and Roosevelt subway stations, McCormick Place expansion, and numerous utility tunnel installations. He was an active participant in the conversion and renovation of obsolete loft buildings to commercial and residential reuse throughout the city, including Riverworks on Goose Island, Lincoln Lofts in Lakeview, and 1415 Dayton and 1333 Kingsbury in the Halsted Triangle.
During his tenure as a principal of Structured Development, the firm completed over 2 million square feet of product, including Lincoln Park Center, Blackhawk on Halsted, Kingsbury Center, Kendall College’s Riverworks campus, and the award-winning conversion of the Chicago and Northwestern Powerhouse into office and retail. Structured Development was the managing partner on the “nationally significant” NEWCITY mixed-use project in Lincoln Park. The firm’s recently completed and ongoing developments include Harrison Row Townhomes, an affordable for-sale townhome community in East Garfield Park; Schiller Place Apartments, a mixed-income rental community just south of NEWCITY; Wendelin Park, a three-building mixed-income residential development and public green space also located in Lincoln Park; and two Chicago-area locations for District Brew Yards, a partnership with Burnt City Brewing that opened the nation’s first brewery collective with a pour-your-own beer hall.
Michael represented the Builders Association of Greater Chicago on the city’s Minority Relations Committee, served on the recent Land Use Task Force Committee, and is a long-term member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute and Lambda Alpha International. In addition, he is a 20-year member of World Presidents’ Organization and a past president of Olympia Fields Country Club. Michael has served on the Advisory Board for the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at Roosevelt University for over a decade.
Michael matriculated at the University of Illinois, where he studied business administration and architecture.
