Real Estate Management Division

Real Estate Management Division

A division in the Office of Capital Planning and Policy, under the Bureau of Economic Development, the Real Estate Management Division is an integral part of the strategic capital planning process, with responsibility for management of the County’s real estate assets, purchasing and leasing property needed for County purposes, and disposing of real estate deemed non-essential for such purposes. The Real Estate Management Division exists to ensure that appropriate owned or leased facilities are available in which Cook County departments and elected officials may efficiently provide public services and carry out the operations of Cook County Government.
 

Innovative Leadership

Under the leadership of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the Real Estate Division has adopted a fresh approach to the County’s real estate portfolio, taking steps to improve efficiency in the use of leased and owned properties. A space utilization study, expected to be completed in 2012, will provide essential data for management of County real estate assets, and recommendations for better aligning the County’s real estate assets with the County’s objectives for public service. This project is the centerpiece of the Real Estate Management Division’s program to support the President’s commitments to fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency, innovative leadership and improved public service. 

Transparency

To increase transparency and accountability, Real Estate Management has worked with the County’s Geographical Information System group to provide a user-friendly listing of County Facilities (http://cookviewer.cookcountyil.gov/mapviewer/cookFac/cookFac2.html).

As additional data is developed, the Real Estate Management Division remains committed to making that information accessible to the public.

Accountability

The Real Estate Management Division is developing goals and tracking performance as part of President Preckwinkle’s S.T.A.R. program. Our goals, accomplishments and cost savings can be tracked by the public at: http://blog.cookcountygov.com/performancemanagement/.
 

We look forward to your comments and suggestions!

Collaboration

The Division is an active participant in an exciting new City/County Collaboration initiative announced by President Preckwinkle and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. This initiative is establishing new and strengthened ties with the City of Chicago, with a focus on saving money through collaboration in the use of real estate assets. Current efforts include a review of available properties owned by each entity, to determine possibilities for co-location and cost savings. This collaboration is already productive as a forum for sharing information, benchmarking, and identifying opportunities for collaboration in the use and management of real estate assets.