The International Office of ULI announced that Pearl  has been selected as one of the winners of Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2017-2018 Global Awards for Excellence, which is widely recognized as one of the land use industry’s most prestigious award programs. The honor indicates Pearl has achieved the most innovative, forward-looking approach to design and development; the prestigious ranking of Pearl is just one of eight other winning projects in the United States and 13 total around the world including Canada, Europe and Asia.

Recipients recognized as part of Pearl’s overall award include Developer: Silver Ventures, Inc.; Designers: Lake Flato Architects, Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors, Don McDonald Architects, Sprinkle & Co. Architects, Ford Powell & Carson Architects, Jim Kissling Architecture, Dado Group, Clayton & Little Architecture, Rialto Studios.

Pearl has grown to now include The Culinary Institute of America of San Antonio, 19 restaurants, 14 retailers, the award-winning Hotel Emma, Can Plant apartments, Cellars luxury apartments, and more. During the summer of 2017, Pearl also opened the Bottling Department Food Hall with five independent vendors.

Since the project began over 15 years ago, Pearl has committed to environmental, community, cultural and culinary innovation and sustainability partnering with City Public Service on one of Texas’s first public/private solar array projects, Pearl and SAWS have created an innovative water reuse program, planted over 600 trees and acted as a national leader in historic preservation and reuse.  As pearl has evolved as a community center for San Antonio they have partnered with hundreds of local, national and international artists, chefs and organizations to create year round programming that celebrates the unique South Texas culture and invites active and dynamic collaboration.

“We’re thrilled Pearl is being celebrated as one of the nation and world’s most thoughtful development spaces alongside many other notable urban developments,” said Pearl Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Fauerso. “Over the last decade, Pearl’s vision has always been about revitalizing a neighborhood and growing into a communal gathering space. We thank the amazing partners in our community and the citizenry of San Antonio and South Texas who have brought this neighborhood back to life”.

An international jury made up of ULI members with expertise in various real estate development sectors such as finance, land planning, development, public affairs and design determined the winners.  Pearl stands among some of the world’s most prestigious players leading the future of urban development from Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City in Japan to another Texas-native honoree, Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston.

“Each of these winners demonstrates a thoughtful, innovative approach to urban development that is adding to the sustainability and livability of the communities in which they are located,” said 2017-2018 Global Awards Jury Chairman Wendy Rowden, president of 42nd Street Development Corp. in New York City. “The attention paid to project detail, flexible design, and neighborhood context were among the factors making these entries stand out. They represent the type of development that will withstand the tests of time and change.”

For more information, please visit https://americas.uli.org/programs/awards-competitions/uli-global-award-for-excellence/.