Bruce Corrie, the director of St. Paul’s department of Planning and Economic Development, is resigning from the position that put him at the helm of many of the city’s major planning initiatives and day-to-day operations.

Corrie said he will step down immediately to visit ill family in India and then return to Concordia University, his previous employer, as both an economist and administrator.

“I have made the decision to return to the university and I am deeply appreciative that Concordia University is welcoming me back to the role of Associate Vice President and Professor of Economics,” said Corrie, in a written statement.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter appointed Corrie shortly after winning the mayoral election in Nov. 2017 and the decision was immediately seen as a non-traditional one.

As an economist, Corrie had promoted the concept of using “cultural corridors” such as Little Mekong or Little Africa to promote small business growth in the city’s ethnic areas.

His lack of experience working with major corporations and large-scale planning projects had drawn some criticism, given the city’s stated goal of attracting employers, as well as a slate of redevelopment discussions on the horizon, from the former Ford site in Highland Park to the Hillcrest Golf site on the East Side.

In recent months, the Planning and Economic Development department has made inroads on filling a backlog of planning positions that had gone vacant, but important economic development work has fallen to the St. Paul Port Authority, the St. Paul Downtown Alliance and other partners outside City Hall. And few, if any, of those major partners are focused on housing development.

Said Corrie, in his public statement, “The strategy for economic inclusion was to put the person, particularly those with the least access to power and resources, at the center of all we did at the department. The model for economic inclusion is evident in the focus on Cultural Destination Areas (CDA) across the city.

“We have achieved a lot in the last 18 months, made systemic changes, set an infrastructure in place to implement and grow this strategy and we are documenting successful outcomes.

“I took a leave of absence to work at the city and now I am at a critical decision point. Concordia University has begun the new academic year and is appointing a new president. Also, family, both locally and overseas, is my top priority right now.

“My intent was to transition over in the next few weeks but I am now required to leave immediately for India since my mother is seriously ill. I hope to return in the second week of August and help with the transition.”

Corrie thanked Carter, Deputy Mayor Jaime Tincher, city council members, “the great team at PED and city colleagues for supporting and working on these efforts at economic inclusion.”

In a statement, Carter said Corrie’s “inclusive development has opened an exciting path for equitable economic growth in St. Paul. I deeply appreciate his leadership and look forward to continuing this work together as he returns to academia.”