Under the stewardship of founder Joel M. Carlins, perhaps no other developer has exercised a more transformative effect on downtown Chicago in the last generation than Magellan Development Group, whose apartment towers, mixed-use and commercial projects helped convert large swaths of the city's central business district into 24-7 places to live, work, shop and recreate.

Since its inception, Magellan has completed 20 residential high-rises containing more than 6,600 residential units, in addition to more than 517,000 square feet of commercial space, much of it in Chicago's Gold Coast and River North Areas.

Carlin's crowning achievement is Lakeshore East – a $4-billion fully integrated neighborhood of residences, retail, hospitality, schools and parks, all sited on 28 acres along Chicago's lakefront. Lake Shore East's 82-story Aqua, designed by MacArthur Genius Fellowship winner Jeannie Gang, ranks among the most acclaimed high-rises to join the city's skyline in decades.

Carlins' contributions extend beyond mere bricks and mortar. In addition to serving as director of Roosevelt University's Real Estate Program in Chicago, Carlins is director and past president of the Yul Brynner Cancer Research Foundation and founder and sponsor of Ogden Elementary School Mentor and Scholarship Program in Chicago. He is an auxiliary board member with the Art Institute of Chicago and serves on the Council of Regent's for Chicago's Loyola University. In 2002, he was the recipient of the Arthur Rubloff Humanitarian Award.

For these reasons, ENR's regional editors have selected Carlins as recipient of ENR Midwest's inaugural Legacy Award, which recognizes the enduring contributions of recipients to their profession, their community and the built environment. In addition to being profiled in the Feb. 2 addition of ENR Midwest, the ENR franchise plans to honor Carlins at Midwest's Best Projects Awards Breakfast on Nov. 20, at the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago.

Our warmest congratulations to Carlins and his colleagues.