Bove to take over RRA

Article originally published as “Bove to take over RRA” by Gordon Dritschilo

June 20, 2023

Rutland Herald

Ed Bove said he found the only job that could get him to leave the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Bove, who has continued to work part-time for the RRPC since stepping down as its head last year, was announced Tuesday as the new executive director of the Rutland Redevelopment Authority.

“It’s like what a lot of people thought I did anyway at my old job,” Bove said. “Now to be able to do that actually in my hometown is exciting.”

RRA Board Chair Ed Clark — who eagerly quipped that “two Eds are better than one” — said they had interviewed several qualified candidates.

“Ed really rose to the top in terms of his background, experience, knowledge of state land use and development laws, as well as the various entities and partner organizations the RRA works with on a near daily basis,” Clark said. “There’s a lot going on in the city right now, and it will be critical for the RRA to be there to head up projects we have been involved with, including the ad hoc housing group, the TIF district, potential downtown development and numerous other initiatives.”

Bove said his first day on the job will be during Labor Day week.

“I’m going to be getting out there a lot later this summer and meeting with lots of people,” he said. “I want to hear ideas for projects. We want to take that inventory for projects, map them and start making a blueprint for how we can start to go after them.”

With his background in urban design, Bove said he particularly expected to focus on taking advantage of “the best downtown in Vermont,” a title he said Rutland holds because of its connectivity to walkable neighborhoods.

“These are things the market wants now, and we already have it,” he said.

Bove replaces Brennan Duffy, who departed last year amid challenges from some members of the Board of Aldermen about the organization’s direction and effectiveness. Clark said the group set out on a strategic planning process following Duffy’s departure to examine the RRA’s role in the city.

“We’re still working on that,” Clark said. “We have a draft strategic plan we’ve been sussing out. We’re hoping we can include Ed in that process. The biggest thing is, we really realize we need to serve our constituents — every resident of the city of Rutland and our member businesses. ... We also need to make sure our goals are in alignment with what we’re seeing at the city government level.”