Alexandria, VA— The Washington Business Journal has recognized the new terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as the overall "Best Real Estate Deal of 1997" in the Washington Metropolitan region.

Said President/CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, James A. Wilding, "This is a singular honor that any airport operator in the world would greatly cherish. We are extremely pleased to accept this award because it recognizes the importance of airports and the aviation services they provide to the communities they serve. To have the Washington Business Journal confirm these contributions to the region through this award is significant."

The award was presented at a dinner held at the International Trade Center at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. on June 4. This is the first such awards ceremony sponsored by the Journal and was designed to recognize the best real estate deals in the region. The range of projects spanned government-related as well as private sector deals including such industry leaders as Oracle, Andersen Consulting and Safeway Stores.

The panel of judges included: Tom Eichbaum, Senior Vice President, KCF/SHG; Andrew Florance, President, Realty Information Group; John McClain, Staff Vice President, Greater Washington Board of Trade; Alex Orfinger, Publisher, Washington Business Journal; Linda Rabbitt, President, Washington Building Congress and Rand Construction Corporation; and Larry Rosenstrauch, Director, Loudoun County Department of Economic Development.

Wrote Alex Orfinger, "I believe 1997 will go down as one of the most remarkable years for the real estate industry in the greater Washington region...What is the best? Certainly, dollar size was important. In the end, however, the judges looked at creativity, tenacity, complexity and overall impact on the region, among many other criteria."

There were seventeen awards given for various categories, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was awarded the "Best Architecture" award for the new terminal as well as winning the "Best Overall" project.

Other contenders for the award included the recently-opened Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, and the MCI Center.

The special supplement to the June 4th Washington Business Journal announcing the awards quoted syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune, Donald Kaul, who said of the new terminal, "If an airport is a modern city’s way of announcing itself to the world, the nation’s capital has gotten itself a spectacular announcement."

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