Erika L. Kruse

Erika focuses her practice on land use and other government regulations related to real estate development, as well as economic development incentives, commercial real estate and leasing, condemnation and municipal litigation. Her multi-faceted practice includes industrial, commercial and residential developments throughout the State of Illinois. She has secured some of the largest Tax Increment Financing assistance approved by the City of Chicago and significant grants and incentives from the State of Illinois. She has negotiated and obtained approvals for some of the most complex development projects in the metropolitan Chicago area involving multi-layered approval processes by numerous governmental entities. Her clients include some of the largest regional and national real estate development companies, financial institutions and exchange groups.

Erika graduated magna cum laude in 1994 from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she was a member of the University of Illinois Law Review. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

After law school, Erika joined the firm of Altheimer & Gray in its Government Department. She made partner in 2001 and remained there until leaving in January 2003 to become a founding partner of the law firm of Acosta, Kruse and Zemenides, LLC.

The following is a sample of Erika’s past and present transactions:

· $15 million in TIF assistance for rehabilitation of Chicago Board of Trade building and headquarters deal for commodities exchange.

· $5 million in TIF assistance for rehabilitation of the Boeing building for the new corporate headquarters of a major geographic data company.

· Creation of largest TIF district in the City of Des Plaines, Illinois.

· $4.5 million in TIF assistance for rehabilitation of food manufacturing plant and State incentives consisting of job training assistance, EDGE tax credits and LBDP Grant.

· Representing building developer in obtaining $9.75 million in TIF assistance for United States Gypsum.

· $3,300,000 in TIF assistance for construction of new technical and vocational training institution.

· Over $27 million in TIF assistance for development of a high technology national banking headquarters along with $5 million in state grants.

· $3,560,000 in TIF assistance for construction of a new linen supply facility.

· Dissolution of existing, successful TIF district; creation of new TIF district for the Village of Crestwood.

· TIF assistance to building developer and Quaker Oats for construction of an office building housing Quaker Oats new headquarters,

· $8,000,000 in TIF assistance for renovation of 14 East Jackson into a high technology facility known as the HUB.

· Creation of the Deer Run Industrial Park Redevelopment Project Area and up to $125,000,000 in TIF assistance to the developer for creation of an industrial park.

· $8,000,000 in TIF assistance for development of a new mixed-use commercial facility known as Gateway Centre.

· $5,125,000 in TIF assistance and $12 million CDBG Float Loan for new retail facility.

· $1,700,000 in TIF assistance for the new Hotel Monaco.