robert wislow
In 1978 Bob Wislow and Camille Julmy founded U.S. Equities Realty which they, together with their long time partner Nancy Pacher, grew to be Chicago’s largest, privately-owned commercial real estate services firm. U.S. Equities has been responsible for a number of major projects including the development of the Harold Washington Library Center, One Financial Place — a 40-story office tower, Grand Plaza — a 57 story apartment complex, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, Comer Children’s Hospital, John Stroger Hospital; and the redevelopments of the John Hancock Center, Willis Tower, 20 N. Michigan, and Chicago Union Station.
In Spring 1999, U.S. Equities was retained by Millennium Park Inc., to oversee the design, engineering, fabrication and construction of Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion and BP Bridge, Anish Kapoor’s monumental Cloud Gate sculpture and Jaume Plensa’s Crown Fountain.
After nearly four decades of success in Chicago, Wislow and his partners merged their firm into CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services firm, where he and Julmy spearheaded projects like the World’s largest Starbucks Roastery on Michigan Avenue.
In August 2019, after five successful years with CBRE, Wislow and Julmy formed Parkside Realty, a family run real estate firm to oversee their real estate portfolio and develop new properties focused on the tenants’ health and wellness, such as Fulton East, a 12-story, 90,000-square-foot office and retail building at 215 N. Peoria Street, in the heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market.
A native Chicagoan, Wislow is known by friends as a dedicated heli-skier, road biker and fly fisherman, an avid arts supporter and longtime dedicated steward for civic engagement in Chicago. He has, or is serving, as Chairman of the board of many organizations and institutions, including the Chicago Public Library Foundation, Rush University, The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, North Central College, The Goodman Theater Business Council, Sculpture Chicago, and the Chicago Development Council, as well as being on the boards of the Civic Committee, CHICAGO Symphony, Columbia College, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Marwen Foundation, The Chicago Architecture Foundation, and Francis Parker School.
Wislow is the recipient of multiple career awards, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2004 Friends of the Park Award, the 2011 NAIOP Chicago Award for Excellence, the 2014 DePaul University Outstanding Leadership in the Real Estate Profession Award, the 2016 Chicago Architecture Foundation Legacy Award, the 2016 Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Roper Award, The AJC Civic Leadership Award, the 2020 Chicago Commercial Real Estate Legend Award, and the 2021 Grant Park Music Festival Advocate for the Arts Award.