Downtown Raleigh developer Greg Hatem has been given a "Creative Thinkers Award" by the Carolinas Chapter of The Counselors of Real Estate.

Hatem, president of Empire Properties, has bought and renovated dozens of downtown buildings and filled them with cafes, restaurants and bars, such as The Raleigh Times, The Duck & Dumpling and The Pit.

“Greg is a winner for his creative maneuvering around myriad obstacles in being a catalyst for downtown Raleigh redevelopment”, said Loren Kennedy, a CRE member and creator of the awards. “He has taken a path to becoming a restaurateur to enable him to fill ground floor spaces that were considered by experts to be un-leasable. He has orchestrated uncommon and highly complicated financing strategies that solved un-financeable deals."

Although Hatem and Empire's influence can be seen all over downtown, the developer has, it should be noted, not figured out a way around the credit crisis.