Mike Szkatulski ’76

From packaging the financing, design and delivery of office towers and convention centers to retrofitting historic buildings and re-purposing closed Army bases, Mike Szkatulski ’76, has taken his architecture skills to new heights in Chicago.

He began his career as an architect at a small firm in Chicago and later joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM). It was in the midst of the oil crisis, so he has empathy for today’s UDM Architecture graduates who are looking for jobs in a down economy.

After working as an architect at SOM for five years, he discovered that his skills were better tapped as the builder of projects rather than as a designer of buildings. His full capabilities evolved after he was hired in 1983 by Richard Stein—founder and owner of Stein & Co.—who became his mentor.

His new position prompted Szkatulski to become a deal maker, putting together the finances, team, architectural designs, scope and schedule to bring myriad projects to life. He learned how to sell his firm’s concepts and plans to business owners, lenders, elected officials and even area residents when properties involved their neighborhoods.

One of Szkatulski’s peak accomplishments came in 1992, when he was part of the team that put together an expansion plan for McCormick Place, Chicago’s premier convention center. “We started to think about how we could make an offer that would make sense,” Szkatulski says. “It was controversial. The first renovation (before Stein & Co. got involved) was fraught with schedule delays and cost overruns. It was managed by an internal staff that was not well equipped to undertake a large capital project.”

Szkatulski and a core team of hand-picked professionals approached the second expansion as a design/build project, which was unique at that time. They considered what the perfect firm would look like to take on the convention expansion challenge. When they realized that it didn’t exist, Szkatulski and his colleagues set out to find the best people in the business—at building systems, developing a staffing plan, doing the accounting, and scheduling the work. It took 18 months to develop the plan and sell the concept to the public sector. With that accomplished, they had to submit a bid, pitting Stein & Co. against many other firms.

Szkatulski’s ability to look at the project as a business problem and propose a solution stemmed from his years at U of D. “The curriculum (then and now) is focused on general problem solving in a building environment,” Szkatulski said. “It prepared me to consider things beyond the scope of a traditional architect.”

Stein & Co. was awarded the job. The mega project entailed a $675 million budget and a consortium of more than 50 firms. The project was finished six months ahead of schedule and won an AIA Gold Medal. Essentially, the same team competed for and delivered a $108 million hotel project, as well as an $850 million contract for the next phase of the complex expansion.

In 1996, Mesirow Financial acquired Stein & Co., and Szkatulski became head of the Real Estate Consulting division.

The firm was given a lead role in building stadiums for the White Sox, the Chicago Bulls and the Jacksonville Jaguars, drawing on research into what makes a world-class stadium.

Being in the business of building often means uncovering opportunities, proposing new buildings and creating a vision that both clients and the community can embrace. This was evident with the closing of the Glenview Naval Air Station. The 1,100-acre parcel in suburban Chicago was converted into part of the community as Mesirow partnered with the local government to create a master plan and then managed the sale of parcels to other developers. Now called “the Glen,” it has a town center, golf course, shopping center and 1,100 home sites.

Szkatulski’s division was also involved in developing the Monona Terrace community and convention center in Madison, Wisc., based on a Frank Lloyd Wright design. That project required collaboration with the Wright Foundation, county, city and University leaders. Plus, it had to adhere to National Registry standards.

Giving back is an ingrained part of Szkatulski’s education. He serves on the Board of Advisors for UDM School of Architecture. He attends bi-annual meetings on campus, advises on issues facing the School, and helps students with career planning.

For fitness and fun, he belongs to a bicyclist group of friends from the industry who ride some 100 miles on the weekends and socialize with spouses and friends around those outings. Szkatulski and his wife Laur have three grown daughters.