[Source: Art Thomason, Arizona Republic] -- Chris Brady's impressive track record in economic development played a key role in his selection as Mesa's city manager. Now, less than two months after taking office, he is realigning the city's splintered business recruitment and retention force with an eye on downtown. Brady (pictured above) this month placed the downtown redevelopment operations back under control of the Economic Development Department, which will have a new director picked this year by Brady. For almost six years, downtown business redevelopment operations were curiously detached from economic development's authority and placed under the wing of neighborhood improvement administrators. Under that arrangement, Town Center Development and historic preservation were combined into one division and answered to the Neighborhood Services Department. The link between the job functions was tenuous, at best, city officials said. But nothing was done until Brady took the reins as city manager Jan. 1...Under Mesa's new departmental structure, the Town Center Development and Historic Preservation Division has been split. Town center development is now assigned to the Economic Development Department and historic preservation stays with neighborhood services.
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