J. Paul Beitler has been one of Chicago’s best known real estate leaders and most influential developers for over 35 years. His high profile developments and detailed management style have placed him and his firm among Chicago’s most respected real estate teams in the history of Chicago.
Prior to entering the real estate world, Mr. Beitler served in the Vietnam War where he earned the Army’s Bronze Star. He returned to the United States and eventually began his career as a commercial real estate broker in Chicago.
Over the past 30 years, Mr. Beitler and his companies have negotiated over 7,000 leases, managed over 30 million square feet of space across 16 states and developed 10 million square feet of buildings. In 1991 Mr. Beitler made international headlines when he unveiled plans to develop the tallest building in the world, the Miglin-Beitler Tower. Ultimately the project lost steam due to the recession of the global economy, however, Mr. Beitler’s other successful developments have earned the respect of business leaders and competitors alike.
Mr. Beitler has been recognized as one of Chicago’s most influential real estate brokers, most well known for acting as the sole broker in one of the largest transactions in the history of Chicago – the long-term lease signed by JP Morgan Chase at 131 S. Dearborn Street in Chicago, IL for 650,000sf. In addition, Mr. Beitler also leased 350,000sf of space to Chase at One North Dearborn Street for a combined total of 1 million square feet. Both buildings were Beitler developments.
In addition to his success and involvement in the business world, Mr. Beitler has been extremely active in many prominent civic, cultural and business institutions. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Science and Industry, Board of Trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art, is a Member of the Architecture Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago and was on the International Board of Directors for the Frederic Remington Art Museum in New York.
Mr. Beitler was formerly an Advisory Board Member for Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate Center for Real Estate Research, former Member of the Board of Directors for the Greater State Street Council and Board of the Chicago Development Council.
Mr. Beitler was inducted in the Chicago Association of Realtor’s Hall of Fame in 2001.
On a personal level, Mr. Beitler is extremely active in many different activities, having received his Airline Transport Pilot rating for both fixed-wing jet and turbine-helicopter aircraft by the FAA.
E: pbeitler@beitlerre.com P: 312.768.7000