This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Mayor Jackie Biskupski has put forward a familiar face to lead Salt Lake City's urban renewal agency after her previous selection of an East Coast attorney was undone by his undisclosed past.
Danny Walz will seek the consent of the City Council on Tuesday after having served 13 years as Redevelopment Agency director in nearby Midvale. Prior to that, he worked for Salt Lake City's RDA, and he ran for a City Council seat in 2005.
In April, Biskupski pulled her nomination of Marc Woolley after The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Woolley had been named in whistleblower lawsuits relating to his work at the Philadelphia Housing Authority from 1999 to 2003.
Biskupski said Friday that Salt Lake City had unsuccessfully recruited Walz during that round of searching, too.
Walz — who also serves as president of the Utah Redevelopment Association — "is probably the Utah expert on RDA," Biskupski said.
"He just had some very big things in the pipeline for Midvale and just did not feel good about leaving," she said. "Those will be kind of wrapped up or easy for someone else to manage come August," when Walz is expected to begin working for the city.
Walz and Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini did not immediately return a request for comment Friday afternoon.
Of her earlier misfire with Woolley, Biskupski said Friday that it was "unfortunate that when you ask people to disclose anything that might come up, that they aren't always completely forthright."
The whistleblower accusations naming Woolley were first reported "a very long time ago and it just didn't get caught," she said, "but that doesn't mean our process is flawed — it means that we need to make sure we are being thorough."
Walz ran for Salt Lake City Council in 2005, representing District 7, and lost in the primary. His previous titles working for the city's RDA included senior project manager and project coordinator.
Biskupski said Walz's knowledge of Salt Lake City, specifically, was "extremely important."
"His long work history of revitalizing neighborhoods through the addition of a variety of housing types, activation of public spaces, and creation of business districts began in Salt Lake City, so it's appropriate he would return here to lead the capital city's RDA team and continue its good work," she said in an earlier news release.
Allocated $62 million in the city's 2017-18 budget, the RDA is charged with breathing life into blighted and underutilized areas of the city — including the Depot District, where House Speaker Greg Hughes earlier this week broached the idea of sending in the National Guard — and filling a growing need for affordable housing.
Biskupski said the administration has received positive feedback from council members who've met with Walz.
Councilman and RDA board Vice Chairman Derek Kitchen said in a text message Friday that he thinks Walz is "the right person for the job."
"He's smart and energetic. He'll be a good leader for the RDA organization."
If approved, Walz would succeed Justin Belliveau, who left earlier this year to own and operate a craft brewery after receiving plaudits from City Council members for shepherding the agency through a tumultuous year of reorganization and redistribution of powers.
Biskupski demanded and accepted the resignation of longtime RDA executive director D.J. Baxter shortly after assuming office in January 2016.
Baxter served under Mayors Ralph Becker and Rocky Anderson and came recommended by members of the council.
Twitter: @matthew_piper