Storrs Center Selected as Finalist for ULI Global Awards for Excellence
Storrs Center is one of twenty-two real estate developments that have been selected as finalists in the 2015 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence. The competition is widely recognized as one of the land use industry’s most prestigious award programs and includes entries from around the globe.
Award finalists advance to the final stage of the competition, with a group of winners to be announced in October at the ULI Fall Meeting in San Francisco. The winning projects will be selected from an international jury of ULI members representing a multidisciplinary collection of real estate development expertise, including finance, land planning, development, public affairs, design, and other professional services.
“This year’s finalists were selected from an impressive group of international submissions that have each added value to their larger community,” said jury chair Michael Covarrubias, chairman and chief executive officer of TMG Partners in San Francisco, California. “This diverse group of projects illustrate how the intersection of financial feasibility, design, and a vision for comprehensive development define essential qualities of life in the neighborhoods and areas they serve.”
The competition, established in 1979, recognizes real estate projects that achieve a high standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning and management. The program, open to the entire industry (not just to ULI members), is viewed as the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development.
“We are thrilled that Storrs Center has been selected as a finalist for the ULI Global Awards for Excellence,” said Howard Kaufman, CEO and Principal of LeylandAlliance LLC, the master developer of Storrs Center. “It is a significant honor for Storrs Center to be recognized as one of the finest new real estate projects in the world. Credit goes to our entire development team, and our great partners at EdR, the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, the Town of Mansfield, the University of Connecticut, and the community as a whole.”
The competition is part of the Institute’s Awards for Excellence program, which is based on ULI’s guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI’s Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnerships, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability. Throughout the program’s history, all types of projects have been recognized for their excellence, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed-use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs.