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D. Craig Taylor, who has led the city of Minneapolis’ regional planning and economic development department since August 2014, is retiring. CPED spokeswoman Rose Lindsey confirmed in an email that Taylor plans to leave the agency. TCB.
Lindsay said Taylor had indicated he would leave in August to “pursue new opportunities,” but Taylor declined an interview request because he didn’t want to talk about his future plans yet. Lindsey said Taylor’s last day on duty at CPED will be Aug. 25, but he plans to use his remaining vacation time throughout August.
Mayor Betsy Hodges named David Frank, currently the agency’s director of economic development policy, as CPED’s interim executive director. The nomination is subject to approval by the Minneapolis City Council Executive Committee. Mr. Frank will assume his position as interim executive director from August 2nd. Mr. Frank joined CPED in 2011, which currently has 241 employees.
CPED is a major sector of the city’s commercial real estate industry. CPED staff prepares detailed reviews of development proposals and analyzes whether potential projects meet city guidelines and policies. CPED also handles the City’s business assistance and licensing programs and the City’s long-term urban planning.
CPED has been very busy in recent years. Development is booming in Minneapolis, primarily due to new apartment construction. In 2016, construction permit approvals in the City of Minneapolis totaled $1.76 billion, the second highest annual total since 2000. It also marked the fifth consecutive year that construction permit approvals in Minneapolis exceeded $1 billion.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/news/WCMSP-192085
Taylor’s resignation comes amid a controversial mayoral campaign. Hodges is facing multiple challengers ahead of the November election. If Hodges is not re-elected, the new mayor could nominate his own candidate for City Hall.
Eric Fite, a spokesman for Mayor Hodges, said Mayor Hodges has no plans to name a new permanent leader for CPED before the election.
“He will serve through the remainder of his term,” Frank’s Fite said. But Fite noted that the mayor has directed city staff to begin preparing search procedures.
Prior to taking the CPED post, Taylor spent 12 years at the University of Minnesota as executive director of the Office of Business & Community Economic Development and the Center for Business & Technology. Taylor previously worked as a small business development manager for Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy.
Former CPED Division Directors include Steve Kramer, currently president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council; Mr. Kramer led the agency, then known as the Minneapolis Regional Development Authority, from 1999 until early 2002. Mr. Kramer resigned because the newly elected mayor of Rybak did not reappoint him as leader of his MCDA.
Kramer said the director often tries to balance supporting the city’s development staff with dealing with the political aspects of many of the projects being proposed.
“It’s always kind of a challenging environment,” Kramer said. “The director’s role as the point person…that can be a little tiring.”
Cramer points out that given the demands of the job, CPED directors typically remain in their positions for only a few years.
“It’s not necessarily a long-term job in city government,” Kramer said. “That was history.”
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