Lasting Legacies - Bob Whisler

BOB WHISLER

Bob Whisler is truly the epitome of an outstanding citizen to the Arlington Heights Park District and its community. Bob served as a commissioner on the Park Board from 2000 until 2013 and during that time, he served as Board President from 2002 until 2005. Many times, when a Board member leaves the service of an agency, they naturally become disengaged in the business they once had an impactful voice in. However, every once in a while, a past Board member reinvents themselves and continues their support of the good work the agency does even though they no longer occupy a seat on the Board. Bob and has continued his good work in support of the Arlington Heights Park District and our mission to enrich the community by providing quality recreation, facilities and fun.

As the President of Brian Properties, Inc., a long-standing commercial real estate firm in town, Bob has been well-respected for over 30 years for his deep knowledge of the Arlington Heights market and shrewd business sense. He started his career with Brian Properties in 1983 and is directly responsible for the leasing and management of office, medical buildings, shopping centers and apartment buildings. Brian Properties commercial real estate portfolio currently totals 38 properties and over 1,500,000 square feet.

In 2020, the Arlington Heights Park District had the opportunity to potentially purchase a historic service/gas station adjacent to Recreation Park. This particular piece of property had long been on the agency’s radar as a gem that would open a “window” to the park at the busy corner of Northwest Highway and Belmont. Mariano’s grocery chain was also interested in purchasing the piece of property to add a gas station to their existing retail services.

The Park Board and Executive Director called upon Bob to assist in best understanding the fair market value of the property as well as to help the Park District broker a fair and equitable deal to secure this cornerstone piece of property. At no charge to the Park District, Bob researched the value of the property, worked with the owner’s broker and other brokers in the area and assisted the agency in moving forward toward the final purchase, ultimately benefiting the 77,000 residents of Arlington Heights.

Additionally, Bob has utilized his expertise in other ways to assist the Park District. He annually researches comparable lease rates for the three residential units the agency owns and maintains to ensure we are priced competitively in the market. He also assists with helping to determine fair market values for any properties that the agency is potentially interested in purchasing.

Bob’s care and respect for the Arlington Heights Park District is well-known and documented. This coupled with his expansive knowledge of the real estate market in our community have made him a treasured asset to the leadership of the agency. He’s our go-to expert for “all things real estate related” and we are grateful for his continued investment in our park system and community.