November 2010
UCLA Team Defeats USC in Annual NAIOP Real Estate Challenge
Beating out cross-town rival USC, a team of students from UCLA Anderson and UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, including Mike Marsch (MBA '11), Todd Holman (JD/MBA '12), Mark Cruz ('11), Adam Perry (MBA '11), and Brad Rosenblat (MBA '11), won the Silver Shovel award on November 19th at the 2010 NAIOP Real Estate Challenge held at UCLA's Covel Commons. The annual event is presented by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). By posing a specific real estate case challenge to each team, the competition showcases the talents and creativity of the next generation of real estate leaders. UCLA triumphantly reclaimed its title after USC's win last year.

"I am extremely proud of our NAIOP Challenge team, and I would especially like to thank Professor Paul Habibi for tirelessly serving as the team's advisor," said Tim Kawahara, Executive Director of the Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate. "They worked extremely hard on this case competition and dedicated themselves fully to this prestigious educational program. We are so proud of their accomplishments and so pleased that UCLA Anderson will be home to the Silver Shovel."

This year, the two teams were given the 2010 Real Estate Challenge question as part of a presentation by Donald Spivack and Dennis Hance of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles. The challenge focused on a 2.46 acre site at the heart of Bunker Hill adjacent to the historic Angel's Flight Railway. The site sits between two separate and distinct Downtown districts: the historic core including the Grand Central Market and the modern office, retail, and cultural Cal Plaza. The teams were challenged to create and present the best idea for redevelopment of the site. The UCLA Anderson team proposed The Landing at Angels Flight, a market-appropriate and integrative mixed use development. The project is intended to meet existing demand for mixed income rental apartments while meeting future demand for modern hotel product and attractive retail, with transit options and civic uses to complement the area.

"This team simply outhustled the opponent," said Paul Habibi, UCLA Anderson lecturer and team advisor. "They walked every comp, considered every financing source, sensitized around every risk, and interviewed over 100 people - some of them twice. No stone was left unturned, because losing wasn't an option. I'm extremely proud of their commitment to our program and to each other."

In its thirteenth year, the NAIOP USC vs. UCLA Real Estate Challenge celebrates the rivalry between the two schools, but more importantly, the competition draws attention to the robust real estate programs at both USC and UCLA, and the next generation of real estate talent. The winning team is awarded the Silver Shovel, a silver shovel inscribed with all past winners, and a $5000 cash prize. Read more...

March 2010
Influential Developer John Cushman and California Assembly Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass Keynote Crocker Symposium
The UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate partnered with the Real Property Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association to present the 39th Annual Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium on Real Estate Law & Business, the premier event in Southern California for its subject. Held on March 23, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the day-long symposium, which featured prominent keynote speakers, panelists, and breakout sessions, provided nearly 600 real estate professionals from every sector of the industry a unique forum to come together to discuss opportunities, address barriers, and navigate the maze of the economic downturn facing the real estate community today. Read more...