(Indianapolis, IN) – Holladay Properties was proud to once again be an underwriting sponsor of the 2018 NAIOP/ULI University Challenge. For the 2018 event, Dan Phair also served as a judge for the competition in which students from Ball State University, Butler University, Indiana State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and University of Indianapolis used the redevelopment of Lafayette Square Mall as a hypothetical case study to compete for the Wally F. Holladay Entrepreneurial Excellence Award and a $5,000 Scholarship provided by the Opus Foundation.
Judges narrowed the competitors to two teams who competed in an event open to the public April 19 from 4-6 p.m. at the Biltwell Event Center. Audience members were able vote for their favorite entry and the team with the most audience votes received a 10-point bonus, determining the final score.
“The University Challenge provides students with a real-world example to think about and explore, with insight from coaches and subject matter experts,” said Cody Riles, vice president and market officer at Prologis and current NAIOP Indiana president. “We’re grateful to Holladay Properties and the Opus Group for their generous support of the program and their investment in future members of the commercial real estate development community.”
The event and scholarship are made possible by a 10-year commitment by the late Wally Holladay, along with sponsorship by both Holladay Properties and the Opus Foundation. The Indiana chapter of NAIOP, a commercial real estate development organization, started the University Challenge, which is now in its seventh year. For the second year in a row, the Indiana district council of the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit education and research institute focusing on responsible land use and development, is partnering with NAIOP on the program.
“The University Challenge is a unique opportunity for the central Indiana real estate industry to meet the best and brightest talent that will be graduating from our Indiana universities in the near future,” said Shawn Bullock, senior vice president of Associated Bank and ULI Indiana board member. “Real estate leaders attending the presentation have the opportunity to network with the next generation of real estate candidates they can hire down the road, keeping valuable talent in Indiana.”
Judges for the competition included: Andrew Buroker, Faegre Baker Daniels; Daniel Phair, Holladay Properties; Terri Skipper, International Marketplace Coalition; Doug Swain, The Opus Group; and Karen Valiquett, CORE Planning Strategies. Multiple industry subject matter experts and team coaches helped the students with their development concepts.