Chicago, IL August 14, 2013: The Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global research and education institute dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving, sustainable communities, returns to Chicago after more than a decade; it was last held there in 2000, to hold its 2013 Fall Meeting November 5-8 at McCormick Place Convention Center. More than 6,500 land use experts from every sector of Real Estate will attend 100 educational sessions, lectures, field trips and networking events. Past Keynote Speakers include President Bill Clinton, NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker and Actor Robert Redford.

Nathan Keup, Director of Real Estate Development at Presbyterian Villages of Michigan and Tom Wackerman, President of ASTI Environmental have been selected to lead a session at this prestigious event entitled: Rivertown Neighborhood Project: How Senior Housing Can Revitalize a Former Industrial Area in Detroit's East Riverfront District on Thursday, November 7, 2013 from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm.

The Rivertown Neighborhood Project, second of only two affordable assisted living complexes in the State of Michigan, has opened the first phase of a $35 million, 130-unit Senior Living community near the City of Detroit's East Riverfront in the former Parke-Davis pharmaceutical research and production buildings near Stroh River Place and the UAW/GM Training Center. Key project stakeholders: Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, United Methodist Retirement Communities and Henry Ford Health Systems, view the Rivertown Neighborhood Project as a model for the country on how organizations should work together to develop communities. Funders included the US Dept of Housing & Urban Development, the MI State Housing Development Authority, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., which granted incentives because the project is seen as transformational and a major anchor for the East Riverfront District, site of the River Walk and planned riverfront luxury residential projects. The project will create 180 health care jobs with an average pay of $48,000. Future phases include a licensed nursing home, consisting of 10-apartment buildings, a café and a garden. The project as a whole will be the first of its kind in the nation.