Brian J. Rogal

Brian J. Rogal is a lifelong Chicagoan if you count a childhood spent in the suburbs. The Bucktown resident is a graduate of DePaul University and then spent several years as an investigative reporter with The Chicago Reporter, mostly writing about the CHA’s transformation. He has covered commercial real estate full-time since 2013.

The Chicago City Council approved on Thursday Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto’s plan to build a 22,000-seat soccer stadium on The 78, the South Loop megadevelopment site along the South Branch of the Chicago River. (Chicago Fire FC and Gensler)

Proposed Chicago Fire soccer stadium wins City Council approval, clearing last major hurdle before construction

September 26, 2025 at 1:59 p.m.

Council members also cleared the way for several developers to create hundreds of new apartments in the downtown financial district.

Franklin Castillo works on cutting stone for wall cladding for the Obama Presidential Center at GI Stone in West Town on Aug. 28, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Developers say on-again, off-again tariffs are making it difficult to predict prices and kick off projects

September 23, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

“The uncertainty is worrying builders,” said Molly McShane, CEO of The McShane Cos., a national real estate and development firm. “People understand deals won’t move forward if prices change four...

Developer proposes 56-story residential tower for the Magnificent Mile

September 23, 2025 at 10:12 a.m.

The project, which still needs to win city approval, would be the first new skyscraper built in years on the Magnificent Mile, and could provide a much-needed shot in the...

The Chicago Plan Commission approved a proposal by developer Related Midwest to build a 22,000-seat soccer stadium for the Chicago Fire on The 78, the mega-development site just south of downtown along the Chicago River. (Related Midwest and Gensler)

Plan Commission approves proposal to build Chicago Fire stadium on The 78 mega-development site

September 25, 2025 at 11:41 a.m.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved on Thursday a proposal by developer Related Midwest to build a 22,000-seat soccer stadium for the Chicago Fire on The 78, the mega-development site just...

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday green-lighted plans by a developer to plant a 26-story hotel several blocks south of the Obama Presidential Center. (Stantec Architecture Inc.)

Chicago Plan Commission green-lights developer’s plan for 26-story hotel near Obama Presidential Center

August 21, 2025 at 5:24 p.m.

The proposed hotel, designed by Stantec Architecture, could have up to 256 rooms and provide between 100 and 120 permanent jobs.

The only building on the Lincoln Yards site, a tower at 1229 W. Concord Place, sits along the North Branch of the Chicago River on May 29, 2025. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune)

Sterling Bay puts vacant life sciences building up for sale, the latest chapter in Lincoln Yards saga

August 19, 2025 at 5:53 p.m.

The 285,000-square-foot riverfront tower at 1229 W. Concord Place, meant to be the centerpiece of a vibrant life sciences complex, sits empty on the southern end of the mostly vacant...

Ruth Barajas works with red leaf and green leaf lettuces at Gotham Greens greenhouse, 10636 S. Woodlawn Ave. in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood, Aug. 26, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Development work by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives generated nearly $1.5B impact on Far South Side, study says

September 4, 2025 at 12:05 p.m.

The study by Anderson Economic Group LLC estimates Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives brought $1.4 billion to the Far South Side between 2009 and 2023, including $693 million to Pullman.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital officials, saying they have run out of space, have proposed building a 1.2 million-square-foot tower on a vacant lot, seen here on July 14, 2025, in the Streeterville neighborhood. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Streeterville residents back Northwestern’s hospital construction plan, but worry about loss of green space

August 14, 2025 at 5:38 p.m.

The new tower would add several hundred inpatient beds, along with at least five operating rooms, to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

People walk with suitcases outside the Congress Plaza hotel before opening day of Lollapalooza, July 30, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Lollapalooza expected to deliver big weekend for Chicago hotels, even as international travel lags

August 1, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Chicago hotel operators say the lakefront music festival has become one of downtown’s most important events, and this year may be the biggest ever.

An interactive historical collage of the transformation of the former Robert Emmet Elementary School to the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, 5500 W. Madison St., is on display at the center lobby July 16, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Former Robert Emmet Elementary School in Austin gets new life as community center, workforce development facility

July 25, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Now called the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, the building’s second life is the brainchild of the community group Austin Coming Together and the nonprofit Westside Health Authority.

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