About Us
Proven History
In 1981 J. Paul Beitler and Lee Miglin founded Miglin-Beitler, Inc. which quickly became one of Chicago's most successful commercial real estate companies, responsible for a portfolio of over 30 million square feet in 16 states and the first company to privatize the management of the largest public building in Chicago, the Richard J. Daley Center.
Following the death of Lee Miglin in 1997, J. Paul Beitler continued as Beitler Real Estate Services LLC, developing over 10 million square feet including some of the largest and most architecturally distinguished projects in Chicago, the surrounding suburbs and the mid-west. Today, Beitler is a family run company developing and investing in all types of real estate projects, including: office, retail, hospitality, residential and public / private ventures.
Our Founder
J. Paul Beitler
President
J. Paul Beitler has been one of Chicago’s best known real estate leaders and most influential developers for over 40 years. His high profile developments and detailed management style have placed him among Chicago’s most respected real estate professionals 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, IL at the real estate firm Helmsley-Spear Inc. While at Helmsley-Spear, Mr. Beitler was in charge of leasing a five-building portfolio of 2M square feet of office and retail buildings.
Beitler then transitioned to the real estate firm of Arthur Rubloff & Co. where he was a Vice President of tenant representation and became the firm’s single highest producer. While at Rubloff, Mr. Beitler expanded his activities into development projects and was appointed a project manager for the development of Marriott’s 1,200-room hotel on Michigan Avenue.
While at Rubloff, Beitler partnered with principal Lee Miglin on several projects (including the purchase of the Drake and Drake Oakbrook Hotels) and, in 1981, the duo left Rubloff to form their own highly successful real estate development company, Miglin-Beitler Developments, Inc.
Over the course of Mr. Beitler’s career, he has been involved in a diverse range of projects. 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.
Mr. Beitler made international headlines when he unveiled plans to develop the tallest building in the world, the Miglin-Beitler Tower. Mr. Beitler partnered with Credit Suisse to acquire and redevelop the five-building 2M square foot Helmsley-Spear portfolio in Chicago, IL (the same portfolio of buildings that Mr. Beitler began his real estate career leasing 30 years earlier).
Mr. Beitler represented La Quinta Hotels with the introduction of their first “select service” hotel in downtown Chicago when they acquired the former JUF headquarters at 1 North Franklin and converted the building into a 233-room hotel.
In addition to Mr. Beitler’s many development projects, he 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. Mr. Beitler also leased another 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 and was inducted into the Chicago Association of Realtors Hall of Fame in 2001.
On a personal level, Mr. Beitler is extremely active in many different activities and received his Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating for both fixed-wing jet and turbine-helicopter aircraft by the FAA. In 2021 the FAA awarded Mr. Beitler the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for exhibiting professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise for over 50 years. Mr. Beitler also earned his Master Scuba Diver (MSD) and Rescue Diver certificates by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Mr. Beitler is a licensed Illinois Real Estate Managing Broker and is an alumnus of Michigan State University.