The Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Board of Directors today approved John F. Palmieri to be the 15th director of the city’s planning and economic development agency. Formerly the Director of Development Services in Hartford, Palmieri brings more than 25 years of experience in planning and economic development from three different cities to his new post as BRA chief. Director Palmieri will earn an annual salary of $168,000 and will start on November 13, 2007. He and his wife Dana will reside in Boston. Palmieri succeeds Paul McCann, who has served as the interim director since Mark Maloney’s departure in January 2007.

“I want to thank the BRA Board of Directors for their approval and welcome Mr. Palmieri to Boston,” Mayor Menino said. “There’s a lot of great work to do and I know he’s the right person to get the job done.”

“I am honored to be Mayor Menino’s choice to lead the Boston Redevelopment Authority and delighted by the Board’s approval,” said John F. Palmieri. “I am excited to begin working with the Mayor, the talented BRA staff, and the city’s neighborhood groups and development community as we work to make Boston an even better place to live, work and play.”

Palmieri has worked on numerous neighborhood and downtown revitalization projects during his career. As the Director of Development & Planning in Providence from 1993 to 2002, he helped lead the implementation of a strategy to create an arts & cultural district, the development of the 1.2 million square foot Providence Place Mall, the creation $1 billion Capital Center corporate district, and the implementation of a strategy to create an arts & cultural district.

From 2002 to 2004, John Palmieri served as the first Director of Economic Development for the City of Charlotte, the nation’s second largest banking center and fifth largest urban region. John developed an economic development work strategy for Charlotte, attracted a Time/Warner Headquarters and a Johnson & Wales University campus, implemented a new program to provide small businesses with financial assistance, and implemented policy guidelines for transit-oriented development.

In Hartford since 2004, Palmieri has served as the City’s first director of the Department of Development Services, overseeing all aspects of planning, economic and real estate development. While in Hartford, he has partnered with the local chamber of commerce to develop a strategic plan and marketing program for the city, established a tax increment financing district for a major mixed use development at the site of the historic Colt Firearms factory, and re-organized the City’s core development functions.

Some of the major projects that the Boston Redevelopment Authority will be working on include the development of the South Boston Waterfront, the revitalization of Downtown Crossing, the growth of the Longwood Medical Area, the implementation of the Crossroads project, and the expansion of academic institutions. Throughout all these projects, the BRA is charged with ensuring development that works for the benefit of Boston’s residents.

Formed fifty years ago by the City Council and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the BRA is Boston’s principal planning and economic development entity. In partnership with communities, the BRA plans Boston’s future and helps the City realize that future through economic development programs, planning and design efforts, and job training initiatives. Through its 300-person professional staff, the BRA oversees planning, zoning and design review; implements economic and workforce development initiatives to attract, retain and grow both small businesses and major industries; and partners with a variety of other City departments to spark the development of housing at all price ranges.

Press Contact: Jessica Shumaker, BRA, 617.918.4446.

Release Date: October 3, 2007