Serving in Chicago

Urban Innovations

By Leah Etling on May 28, 2013 in People

With a unique mixed portfolio and a passion for giving back to the community, Howard R. Conant Jr.’s Urban Innovations (UI) stands out in Chicago.

The property management and construction services firm, established 35 years ago, manages 750,000 square feet of commercial property and 3,700 senior affordable housing units.  UI’s  construction division manages both affordable and commercial construction projects as well as third party projects.

Since its origins as a founding developer of Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Urban Innovations has placed an emphasis on contributing to the greater Chicago community. This legacy of service is influenced by Mr. Conant’s personal history and business philosophy. He commented: “We live in a world where businesses wield tremendous power.  From homelessness to education to healthcare to crime prevention to sustainability, addressing critical problems will require more resources than nonprofits and government can provide.  We will solve these problems only when for-profit businesses make solving these problems a business enterprise.  At Urban Innovations, we believe that doing good things for the community is very smart business.”

Mr. Conant’s philosophy is demonstrated by the work he performs in the community. He currently serves on the boards of the Lawson House YMCA, Archeworks and Writers Theater, is an active supporter of Human Rights Watch, and participates in mission work with his church. He’s especially passionate about affordable housing and works alongside Urban Innovation employees during the company’s annual service days.

Mr. Conant learned and embraced service and giving back to the community at an early age. Mr. Conant’s parents, Howard Sr. and Doris, incorporated advocacy and civic service into their own lives, and were noted supporters of Dr. Martin Luther King’s fight for civil rights in the 1960s. When Dr. King marched in Alabama, young Howard missed school to participate with his mother. He describes the day as a pivotal moment in his life. “That instilled a lifelong commitment, for him, of giving back,” explained Jo Anne Gottfried, Vice President, Marketing, for Urban Innovations.

Howard Conant Sr. passed away in 2011. Doris Conant continues her work as a Chicago philanthropist through the Conant Family Foundation. Her passion for fighting back against poverty and homelessness, especially among mothers and children, was a major motivator behind Urban Innovations’ development work in River North. “She recognized that this was an area of town that needed to be rejuvenated. That was a conscious decision on her part,” Ms. Gottfried said.

Fast forward 35 years, and River North is no longer a dangerous part of town behind the Chicago Merchandise Mart. Instead, it’s a vital and coveted walkable urban neighborhood, with restaurants, bars, art galleries, loft and apartment living, as well as commercial buildings. The bulk of Urban Innovations’ commercial portfolio is located within this area, and the company maintains an active role in the River North Business Association, which promotes local businesses and sponsors events.

Demonstrating UI’s commitment to service, each year, Urban Innovations participates in numerous community service opportunities that bring together their Chicago-based employee team. “This is a group of people that is really willing to pitch in. There is no job too big or too small for anybody on our team,” Ms. Gottfried said.

Through the Chicago Cares Business Shares Project, Urban Innovations completes an annual project that involves manual labor on behalf of a school or other public service facility. With the participation of employees from the company’s construction division, real renovation work can be completed even in just one day. And, there’s a job for everyone, whether it is building a planter box, painting a fence or participating in less strenuous tasks.

“They do a really good job of keeping everybody involved. The upside for the company is the president standing next to the building engineer using the same paint bucket. That’s an opportunity you just don’t get all the time, and a conversation you don’t have all the time. It’s a good equalizer,” Ms. Gottfried noted.

This year, the team worked on several projects at the John C. Haines elementary school in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. They built planter boxes and benches, improved the landscaping on the outside of the school, painted an exterior wall and created new signage for the entry to the school.  The participants were treated to several performances by the students before the day of work began. In 2012, instead of participating in Chicago Cares, they donated, built, and planted exterior landscaping for a housing project of the Inspiration Corporation, which serves those affected by homelessness and poverty. The non-profit had hired Urban Innovations to renovate a 6 flat for their constituency, but their budget was exhausted before the final exterior touches could be completed.

Because the company’s residential portfolio is made up completely of affordable housing, Urban Innovations employees on-site are contributing to the well-being of the less fortunate every day at work, Gottfried noted. She was recently pleased to learn that the Chicago Cares program, through their volunteer corps, will be able to offer on-site programming for seniors in some of the Urban Innovations properties, creating a perfect circle of contributive benefits.

Even Urban Innovations’ senior residents, particularly those at the Centennial Apartments in Mt. Prospect, have gotten into the spirit of community giving.

“They decided to start fundraising for their local firemen, to thank them for all the work that they do, and their prompt and frequent response to their building and how nice and helpful they are,” said Ms. Gottfried. On fixed and very limited incomes, the residents nevertheless pooled their dollars to donate to the Mt. Prospect Fire Department. When the corporate office found out about the effort, they decided to match every dollar the residents contributed. So far, Urban Innovations and the residents have contributed $15,000. The money is used to buy fire and EMS rig equipment that isn’t funded in the fire department budget.

It’s all part of the overall vision at Urban Innovations.

“The most satisfying part is to know that we have made a difference. The people of UI are consummate professionals, the best in the business. We led redevelopment of River North into a vibrant neighborhood. We continue to earn loyalty from our commercial tenants by providing exceptional service regardless of circumstance. And we continue to innovate. Today we are redefining the affordable senior housing business–renovating buildings and upgrading services for senior residents that would otherwise be left behind,” Mr. Conant said.

Yardi commends Urban Innovations, a Yardi client, for their exceptional efforts on behalf of their communities and  non-profit causes.