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The Utah Real Estate Challenge offers college students a shot at winning big bucks with their own development plans.

Sponsored by the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business, the contest set for Friday will give undergraduate and graduate students better understanding of real-estate development by having them produce and present development projects, organizers say.

"Each year we are blown away by the creativity and resourcefulness of the student teams," said Danny Wall, associate professor and director of the Eccles School's Master of Real Estate Development program.

Intercollegiate student teams will prepare and pitch development proposals to a panel of expert judges, with the grand prize of $20,000 going to the most promising and economically viable plan.

The second- and third-place prizes are $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.

The public and members of Utah's real-estate development community are invited to the competitions, starting at 11:30 a.m. at Little America Hotel, 500 S. Main St., Salt Lake City.

Tony Semerad