David Chase, formerly the president and CEO of The Thrush Companies, has struck out on his own with a new venture, Emerging Interests, Inc. The company will focus on real estate investment and development, as well as “nurturing business opportunities in a number of real-estate related areas,” according to Chase. Those include brokerage and consulting for projects in Chicago and in Michigan’s Harbor Country, he says.
Some Emerging Interests projects in the works, according to Chase: a West Loop hotel (with 100 to 200 rooms), residential developments in Bronzeville and acquisition of vacant land in Michigan, with an eye towards building luxury homes there.
Chase took the reins at Thrush a decade ago, after the retirement of company founder George Thrush. During Chase’s tenure, The Thrush Companies built Block X, Block Y, Jazz on the Boulevard and 740 Fulton, among other projects. He’ll retain his status as a shareholder and a director on Thrush’s board.
Yo recently spent some quality time with Chase for our Developer Smackdown: West Loop vs South Loop. Chase represented the West Loop against developer Keith Giles, who represented the South Loop.