Curt Bailey

President, Related Midwest

Some of Chicago’s most complicated bets, including a quantum computing campus and the 78 — a massive master planned development aside the South Loop and Chinatown that has struggled to find its footing — have found a taker in Bailey.

He joined Related in 2008 and has played a central role in expanding its luxury, mixed-use and affordable housing portfolio. High-profile projects under his watch include One Bennett Park, The Row Fulton Market at 900 West Randolph Street and the long-planned, two-tower project now underway at 400 North Lake Shore Drive.

Over the last two years, Bailey has spearheaded a push into a multi-billion dollar quantum computing development that could reshape both a key stretch of the South Side’s lakefront and the firm’s development profile. In 2025, Related Midwest teamed up with CRG to buy the former U.S. Steel site in Chicago, in partnership with Blue Owl Capital, to position the long-stalled parcel for redevelopment after years of false starts. The acquisition signaled Bailey’s willingness to step into projects where capital structure, timing and complexity have repeatedly derailed progress.

His signature project, the 78, a 62-acre master-planned development just south of Chicago’s Loop, has hit setbacks before gaining traction. The site missed out on several headline-grabbing opportunities, including a casino, a university research campus and a new White Sox stadium. Momentum returned in 2025 with Joe Mansueto’s commitment to build a privately funded soccer stadium on the site, giving the long-planned development a clearer path forward.

— Emma Whalen