'Team Columbia' Promotes Community With Midwest Retailers, Developers

Three Columbia boosters spent the latter part of last week working to tell the community's story and attract new retail and new development into the city.

The venue was the Chicago Deal Making event, a trade show that assembled more than 2,000 developers, retailers, real estate brokers and city officials for the express purpose of making connections and facilitating new deals.  The annual event is sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers, the global trade association of the shopping center industry.

The City of Columbia had a booth at the event this year, staffed by Paul Ellis, Director of Community & Economic Development.  He was supported by Craig Hiser, owner of CMJP Properties (a brokerage based in Columbia), and David Wittenauer, vice president for NAI DESCO (a regional brokerage with an office in Columbia).  While the two brokers have business interests expanding beyond the city limits, all three worked together as "Team Columbia" to identify and, subsequent to the show, follow up with potential new development.

Columbia was only one of several Illinois cities exhibiting at the show, which drew participants from across the Midwest.  From Southwest Illinois, the City of Mascoutah and Village of New Baden also sent representatives who worked the show.