Now, the longtime Downtown Alliance leader and tireless downtown cheerleader has a new perch from which he can reshape Utah's capital: economic-development director.
Plucked from his nonprofit post by Mayor Ralph Becker, Farrington steps into a slot that has been vacant since before Rocky Anderson left office. The first-year mayor wants his economic captain to foster small businesses, recruit big companies and work with the city's diverse population.
"Bob sees the big picture," Becker told business owners, developers and economic luminaries who swelled Tony Caputo's Market & Deli for Wednesday's announcement. "There's nobody in this state who is more qualified and more capable to assume this position."
Farrington, who said he was honored and flattered by the offer, described his role as "conductor" of the city's sometimes-disparate business symphony.
"There's no better time than right now," he said, "for Salt Lake City to achieve the promise that it has as a great American city."
Farrington said Utah's capital is unique as a "multidimensional" center but has yet to reach its potential. He joked about pinning badges on the assembled business leaders - making them his deputies.
"We'll have to be joined at the hip to make this work the way we really want to."
Farrington also hopes to create more downtown green space, add a year-round public market and encourage TRAX extensions.
The Salt Lake Chamber complimented Becker for selecting "one of our own" in Farrington.
The business group credits Farrington with establishing the Downtown Farmers' Market at Pioneer Park, launching First Night and helping lead Downtown Rising - a regional movement to enhance the city.
"He's had a smile on his face ever since he told us," said Danica Farley, spokeswoman for the Downtown Alliance.
That organization's board, along with the chamber, will select Farrington's replacement.
Tony Caputo, who was host for the announcement, said Salt Lake City has one of the best opportunities in the nation for growth - despite the flagging economy.
The key, he said, is to stress the notion of "capital" - the state's center for government, education, finance, arts, religion and more.
Liberty Heights Fresh owner Steven Rosenberg noted Farrington's customer-service approach also should pay dividends for neighborhood small businesses.
"I'm excited to have a great leader at City Hall now to move us all ahead."
djensen@sltrib.com
* Family: Married to Maria Stillman for 33 years; two sons, Robert and Charles.
* Salary: $103,000, same amount earned by former economic-development director Alison McFarland, who left last August for a post at Salt Lake Community College.
* Career: Executive director of Salt Lake City's Downtown Alliance, 1992-2008, and helped lead or create Downtown Rising, Farmers' Market, First Night, Lights On and Live Green; adjunct professor in urban and environmental planning, University of Utah; founder and first head of San Antonio's Downtown Alliance; partner in a real-estate planning firm.
* Education: Master's degree in urban planning and environmental management, University of Texas at San Antonio; bachelor's degree in political science, University of Houston.
About working through a chaotic city planning division:
"Part of the challenge is to have the ground rules as clear as they can be so people are not guessing. I want to be more proactive and have the business community be more celebratory about what they're doing."
