Forty years ago, the Milwaukee Business Journal was writing about an up-and-coming player in the local real estate industry.
The subject: Barry Mandel, who was working on a residential project in Hales Corners, a first project for the attorney-turned-developer.
The first of many.
In the years since, Mandel — a Milwaukee native who grew up talking about real estate deals with his father — would go on to shape the city’s skyline and streets, spearheading projects that attracted residents back to the urban core.
Barry Mandel
Those projects include East Pointe, which Mandel worked on while at Trammell Crow, as well as the University Club Tower, the North End apartments, the Caroline Heights apartments, the Marine Terminal Lofts in the Third Ward and more.
His company, Mandel Group, has built thousands of residential units in the area and won numerous awards, including recognition from the Urban Land Institute Awards program and the National Association of Home Builders.
Mandel’s focus has been on going beyond building developments and has focused on building community, with the goal of having a lasting impact on both residents and the overall area — being in “the lifestyle business, not the apartment business.”
Now, in recognition of the work Mandel has done to create modern Milwaukee, he has been named as the inaugural recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal Cornerstone Award, an honor being rolled out as part of our annual Real Estate Awards.
Mandel and the projects being honored this year will be celebrated during an award ceremony on April 17.
That occasion will celebrate the best work that has been done in the region over the past year in a variety of real estate categories, looking to spotlight some of the projects that are both impressive and impactful, showing how the area can grow.
We’re proud to have the opportunity to showcase the winners and the finalists, which are a testimony to the work being done across the real estate space.
And we’re proud to honor Mandel with this award, celebrating a career that has made a difference on both individual lives and the overall community.
