By Justin Kerr
The Karis Cold warehouse in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood netted a win in commercial real estate for its new cold storage facility at 3815 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago.
At the 2026 Illinois Real Estate Journal Real Estate Awards in early June, Karis Cold won Best Project for the Industrial category on Chicago’s South/Southwest Side, beating seven other contestants.
“It was exciting to get recognized,” said Ken Verne, vice presidents of assets at Karis Cold. “We appreciated the fact that we’re up against others, competing with [facilities] as far out as Joliet.”
Verne pointed to the uniqueness of the cold storage warehouse as a factor in the win.
“There isn’t anything else like it right now when it comes to Chicago in particular,” he said.
Presented by trade publisher REJournals, the awards lauded projects, companies and people in Chicago’s commercial real estate industry, including for industrial, medical, affordable housing and office developments.
Verne said state-of-the-art construction technology and 50-foot clear span height were factors that set apart the Karis Cold warehouse in the awards. “It’s the newest cold storage facility in the city,” he said.
“We delivered on our word of putting up a brand new building that meets the demand of the market,” he said. “We want to feel we’re a nice enhancement to McKinley Park.”
