ELITE players on the central European real estate market, which has become one of the world's property-investment hotspots, met in Warsaw to recognise projects, companies, and individuals from 10 countries that demonstrate the top quality in the field.
The CEE Real Estate Quality Awards for 2003 brought together a panel of industry experts from across the region to judge nominations from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
On January 22 the only pan-regional magazine group, Central & Eastern European Real Estate Guides, in association with Imagine Events, presented a total of 16 awards.
The CEE Office Development of the Year 2003 award went to The Park - Prague project, while the Ikea MEGA Mall - Moscow won the CEE Retail Development of the Year 2003.
The CEE Industrial & Logistics Development of the Year 2003 went to the Harbour Park - Budapest, the CEE Residential Development of the Year 2003 was received by Eko Park - Warsaw, and the CEE Commercial Development of the Year 2003 went to InterContinental Warszawa Hotel - Warsaw.
The Quality Awards Jury panel of 16 industry heavyweights from a broad spread of professional disciplines considered the projects' commercial success, design, punctuality, location and accessibility, and response to the local environment and sustainability.
The CEE Lifetime Achievement Award 2003 went to Eugene Golub, the founder of the Chicago-based Golub & Company/Golub Europe. Since 1960, Golub has been instrumental in more than $2 billion (€1.61 billion) in real estate transactions in the USA and has developed, owned, or operated in excess of 25 million square feet of office, residential, and mixed-use properties. He was a pioneer in private real estate investment and development in the former Eastern Bloc.
The jury also awarded the most outstanding company, agency, developer, and commercial service company.
The CEE Grand Awards for Outstanding Development of the Year 2003 went to The Park - Prague, AIG/Lincoln Eastern Europe won the Outstanding Company of the Year 2003, and Pawel Debowski from CMS Cameron McKenna was awarded the CEE Industry Professional of the Year 2003.
To underscore the regional scope of the CEE Quality Awards, the organisers plan to take the event on tour, hosting ceremonies in a different city in the region each year.
This time Slovakia was missing on the list of the winners, but the organisers hope that next year several nominations will arrive from Slovakia and that Slovak projects will join the winners list.
