CHICAGO, TORONTO—Avison Young has increased six-fold in just a few years and shows no sign of slowing down. The firm just acquired the Chicago-based real estate development firm Mesa Development, LLC, bringing more senior-level capital markets capabilities into its Chicago office, as well as adding development, project management, construction management and development management expertise. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Established in 2000, Mesa has handled some of the most notable additions to the Chicago skyline in the past decade, including the 72-story Legacy at Millennium Park luxury condominium tower at 60 E. Monroe St. and the 57-story Heritage at Millennium Park at 130 N. Garland Ct. Effective immediately, its principals Richard Hanson and James Hanson become principals of Avison Young.

“When you have the opportunity to bring in quality individuals like Richard and James you take it,” Mark E. Rose, chair and chief executive officer of Avison Young, tells GlobeSt.com. Avison Young's principal-led ownership structure fosters a collaborative environment that discourages the pursuit of individual profit and rewards a focus on the company's well-being, he adds, an attitude already shared by the Mesa principals. “That sometimes has to be retaught to people who work for public companies.”