Our ambition for UIC has always been to be a truly proactive force for creating and improving great city neighborhoods. After all, UIC stands for Urban Improvement Company. UIC Development Services is where we put our ambitions and designs to work to make great urban environments. Appealing, walkable neighborhoods take a lot to pull off. They start with attractive housing and civic institutions such as schools and community centers. From there, restaurants, retail locations and other attractions are pieces that add value to the area. This holistic approach to development efforts is what makes a neighborhood a community.

Our roots are in architecture and design and it informs everything we do. Co-founders and Principals Brent Crittenden and Sarah Gibson both entered the building profession as architects, and worked with some of the most talented and highly recognized designers in the world. In our design studio we continually strive to create exceptional design with a focus on implementation and the long term life of the buildings we create. We are neither pie in the sky idealists, nor stuck in the mud pragmatists, but instead seek to find beautiful solutions to challenging projects that will create joy for our clients for many years to come.

At UIC, we excel at bringing order to the otherwise complex building process. Collaboration and communication are the cornerstones of our approach to construction. We begin from a perspective of an integrated practice and believe that an open and collaborative approach to the building process leads to better results and fosters the type of long term relationships we seek with our clients and partners. UIC works in a variety of project delivery methods, including as a general contractor or construction manager where a design has been completed and drawings are ready to be bid, better known as design-bid-build. We are always looking for opportunities to consult on or compete for residential and commercial projects.

Our passion is bringing our diverse expertise and intelligence to everything we do to create exceptional results regardless of scale or project type. One of our favorite moments is when a client reveals to us that we not only exceeded their expectations, but did what others had told them they could not do. As we look forward with optimism and ambition we are eager to forge new relationships, enter new markets and continue to be a proactive part of our client’s success and the success of the communities we work in.