A real estate executive who grew up on Chicago’s South Side and has helped bring major developments to areas of the city where investment has been lacking is Mayor Brandon Johnson’s choice for planning director.
Ciere Boatright will take the helm of the Department of Planning and Development on November 20, pending City Council approval, the progressive mayor announced Wednesday.
The Grand Crossing native will join the five-month-old Johnson administration from Chicago development firm CRG, the real estate development arm of construction company Clayco. Boatright was vice president of real estate and community development for CRG.
Prior to that, Boatright spent more than eight years at Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, a community development corporation that led several projects in Pullman and other neighbourhoods on the city’s South Side.
“Ciere Boatright is a tremendously talented and respected leader with a proven track record of managing public and private developments across the city and getting deals done,” Johnson said in a statement. “As a native Chicagoan who knows the landscape of our city, her unique understanding of community economic development, commercial real estate, affordable housing, job creation and neighbourhood engagement will ensure that our city works equitably for all Chicagoans.”
Boatright will replace Maurice Cox, who was selected for the role by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She was voted out of office after one term, and Johnson defeated Paul Vallas in a runoff election to replace her in April.
Johnson took over in May, and Cox – who spearheaded Lightfoot initiatives including the Invest South/West effort to spur development in poorer neighbourhoods and the LaSalle Street Reimagined plan to provide public incentives to convert Loop office buildings into affordable housing – resigned in August.
The city’s longtime zoning administrator, Patrick Murphey, served as interim head of the department until Boatright’s selection. He will be promoted to first deputy in the department, according to Wednesday’s announcement.
Boatright will help Johnson continue initiatives he wants to keep from the previous administration, as well as guide the new administration’s progressive agenda – which includes plans to increase real estate transfer taxes on higher-end homes and most commercial property sales to fund services to combat homelessness – at a time when rising interest rates and other economic concerns have slowed real estate investment here and in cities across the country.
There hasn’t been a sale of a downtown Chicago office building for more than $50 million since July 2022.
Boatright will be a liaison between the city and the commercial real estate industry, whose professionals overwhelmingly opposed Johnson in his election against pro-business, tough-on-crime opponent Vallas.
“Together, we will work with communities to promote inclusive growth through equitable contracting, planning, zoning, development and innovation that will create meaningful economic opportunity for generations of Chicagoans,” Boatright said in the statement. “I look forward to using my expertise and lived experience to closely align the department with Mayor Johnson’s vision for the city.”
At CRG, Boatright worked alongside former city planning director David Reifman, who joined the Chicago developer in 2019 after serving as planning director under Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Boatright joined CRG in September 2021. She led development projects, managed a national philanthropic programme called CRG Cares and launched CRG’s diverse developer initiative, according to the city’s statement.
During her time at Chicago Neighbourhood Initiatives, Boatright helped lead multimillion-dollar projects that created 1,600 jobs and spearheaded affordable housing policy, according to the statement.
Boatright’s projects included bringing a Gotham Greens rooftop greenhouse and a Whole Foods warehouse to Pullman.
After being named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 in 2020, Boatright pointed to her work in Pullman, telling the business publication: “I want to do this in more neighbourhoods. I want to take this show on the road.”
Boatright holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
