American Library Association appoints Cushman & Wakefield as strategic real estate advisor

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) has appointed Cushman & Wakefield as its exclusive real estate advisory firm to assist in the development of strategic real estate options that support the mission, business, and financial goals of the ALA.

As their real estate advisor, Cushman & Wakefield will provide the real estate and consulting services needed to achieve the ALA’s stated goals and optimize the value of their current headquarters at 40-50 East Huron that will ultimately help the ALA achieve greater operational excellence, grow its membership base, and have more resources to invest in programs and services for members.

“Cushman & Wakefield will provide us with strategic real estate advice and services,” said Mary Ghikas, executive director of the American Library Association. “The firm has the requisite deep experience with not-for-profits and downtown Chicago headquarters and the right resources to help us identify and secure the best real estate options.”

“One of the benefits of retaining a global firm like Cushman & Wakefield is our access to broad and deep data, which can ultimately inform smarter, faster real estate decisions for sophisticated organizations like the ALA that have ambitious growth goals,” said J. Frank Franzese, Executive Vice President, Cushman & Wakefield. “We are in enthusiastic support of the ALA’s mission to develop, promote, and improve libraries and access to information services to enhance learning for all ages. We look forward to a strategic working relationship with them to determine the highest and best use of their real estate here in Chicago.”

The Cushman & Wakefield team is led by J. Frank Franzese and includes Steven C. Bauer, Aaron Schuster, Michael McDermott, Dirk Riekse, Brian Chernett, Kathleen Nelson, and I-Lee Hwa and represents a cross-section of the firm’s Capital Markets, Workplace Strategy, Project & Development Services, and Not-for-Profit expertise.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real estate services firm with 45,000 employees in more than 70 countries helping occupiers and investors optimize the value of their real estate. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest commercial real estate services firms with revenue of $6 billion across core services of agency leasing, asset services, capital markets, facility services (C&W Services), global occupier services, investment & asset management (DTZ Investors), project & development services, tenant representation, and valuation & advisory. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.