CHICAGO-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s inauguration in Millennium Park was a somewhat more flashy affair Monday than in the past, when the same man, former Mayor Richard Daley, repeated the swearing-in process over two decades. Emanuel set a tone in his acceptance speech that while he acknowledges Daley’s 22-year success in building up the city, he’s also not afraid to tackle waste and other problems in government.

He said like the transformation from abandoned rail yard to attractive tourist draw that Millennium Park has become, the city also has recovered from a generation ago of dying schools and a lackluster downtown. Daley changed the attitudes toward the city, and built strong relationships with business to ensure growth was the only option. However, Emanuel, a longtime Chicago politician and Pres. Barack Obama's former chief of staff, said there is still work to be done to improve the schools, make the city safer and create jobs.

“We need to make Chicago the best place in America to start a business, create good jobs, and gain the knowledge and skills to fill the jobs of tomorrow,” Emanuel said. “Chicago lost 200,000 residents during the last decade. No great city can thrive by shrinking. The best way to keep people from leaving is to attract the jobs that give them a good reason to stay. The jobs of tomorrow will go to those cities that produce the workforce of tomorrow.”

Most of Chicago’s commercial real estate leaders, some who attended the ceremony and others who didn’t, were all in agreement that Emanuel, with his tough-guy persona and his Washington insider experience, is the right person to lead the city. “He’s the perfect guy to fill very big shoes,” says Mike Jaffe, president of the Jaffe Cos., who attended the swearing-in ceremony. “Because of the city’s budget shortfall, anyone stepping into that role is going to have challenges, and we need a tough guy to get the finances in order, and someone who can access federal money.”

Industry professionals were unanimous in their appraisal, and appreciation, that Emanuel understands the need to continue a strong relationship with the business community. “We’ve been lucky to have a mayor for the last 22 years who has helped make Chicago one of the most business-friendly cities in the world,” says Meredith O’Connor, a managing director in Jones Lang LaSalle’s Tenant Representation group. “I know that Mayor Emanuel shares that pro-business attitude and, just like Mayor Daley, has also earned a truly global reputation that will help us remain relevant on the world stage.”

Both Randy Blankstein, president of the Northbrook, IL-based Boulder Group, and Richard Schuham, EVP with the local Studley office, agreed with O’Connor. “Chicago has been a very pro-growth, pro-development city for decades. In terms of commercial real estate that trend has fostered years of good jobs and new buildings. Unfortunately the real estate tax load has been a challenge for corporate users. Hopefully the new mayor will find new ways to attract and retain corporate and non-profit employers so Chicago can continue to be a beacon of skyline growth,” Schuham tells GlobeSt.com.

Michael Alter, president of the Alter Group and one of the city’s main developers, tells GlobeSt.com that he has faith that Emanuel will be an outstanding mayor. “He’s smart, decisive and passionate about the city.  He won’t hesitate to make the tough decisions that are necessary to put Chicago on the right financial track and he also has the vision to position Chicago for future growth as one of the great cities in the world.”