The team鈥檚 proposal focused on The 78 鈥� a 62-acre site along the South Branch of the Chicago River that is planned to become Chicago鈥檚 78th neighborhood. The development includes the future McDonald鈥檚 Park stadium, a major sports and entertainment destination, in partnership with the Chicago Fire FC soccer team, designed to support year-round activities.

Representing UA 糖心视频logo were students Brennan Gasaway, Ashley Lopez, Isabel Hortelano, Kodiak Cannedy, and Ryan Hunt, who competed as BAIKR Development, a team name built from each member鈥檚 initials. The team developed the award-winning proposal with guidance from industry experts Siteng Ma and Andy Ahitow, while Elizabeth Small, an instructor of real estate, served as the academic advisor throughout the competition. 

鈥淒eveloping this pitch taught us patience, discipline, commitment, and teamwork,鈥� the team said. 鈥淎s the project evolved, we all became deeply invested in the vision, and receiving this recognition validated the hard work and passion we put into it.鈥�

The proposal centered on creating a mixed-use district guided by the principle of 鈥減eople first, buildings second,鈥� with an emphasis on building a development that complemented the surrounding neighborhoods while supporting long-term activity beyond stadium events. 

Taking Ma鈥檚 advice to follow the 鈥淟ive, Work, Play鈥� concept, the team focused on creating a development that complemented the existing neighborhoods and future McDonald鈥檚 Park stadium while giving the 78th neighborhood its own identity.

For 鈥淟ive,鈥� the students envisioned a walkable residential community with a mix of affordable and market-rate housing designed for students, families, and working professionals, creating a stable environment year-round.

For 鈥淲ork,鈥� the proposal introduced office, retail, hospitality, and educational spaces anchored by a Culinary and Hospitality Institute designed to support workforce development and generate daily activity within the district.

For 鈥淧lay,鈥� the team incorporated restaurants, entertainment venues, hospitality spaces, and public gathering areas intended to extend activity beyond game days while supporting both residents and visitors. 

As the project developed, the team focused on creating a district that could sustain activity beyond major stadium events. With McDonald鈥檚 Park serving as a major anchor for the district, the team introduced the Culinary and Hospitality Institute as a second anchor tenant designed to support workforce development, hospitality training, and year-round engagement. 

鈥淲e wanted to stay focused on building a community that recognized and included the people already surrounding the space,鈥� Hortelano said. 鈥淎 big part of our approach was making sure the development felt welcoming and connected to the existing neighborhoods rather than creating something that isolated or displaced them.鈥�

Small encouraged the students to look beyond the site itself and understand the surrounding demographics as real people and neighborhoods, a perspective that shaped many of the team鈥檚 design decisions throughout the project. 

鈥淲e could see how much the team genuinely believed in its pitch, and we were impressed with how they created an ecosystem that could grow organically with the surrounding community over time,鈥� one competition judge said.

Throughout the development of their pitch, team members reached out directly to industry professionals and businesses to test ideas and refine the proposal鈥檚 feasibility. 

鈥淲e were all really surprised how open all of the professionals we spoke to were,鈥� said the team, 鈥淲e spent a lot of time on the phone or talking over email about all of our options, and which made the most sense for the development.鈥�

As the team refined the project, members said their collaboration became one of the group鈥檚 greatest strengths.

鈥淏ecoming friends made everything much easier,鈥� Lopez said.

What began as a competition project ultimately became a collaborative learning experience that challenged the students to think beyond the classroom. Through countless conversations, revisions, and real-world outreach, team members said they developed stronger friendships, discovered their individual passions within the project, and gained a deeper understanding of how thoughtful developments can shape communities. Their success at the Eisenberg Competition reflected not only the strength of their proposal, but also the teamwork and shared vision behind it.

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