As Jamestown Prepares for New Mayor, City Development Director Resigns for Private Sector Position

City Development Director Vince DeJoy goes over details of the city’s Residential Rental Property Registry program with the city council during its April 8, 2019 meeting

JAMESTOWN – The city of Jamestown will have a new Director of Development when a new administration takes over in January.

The Jamestown Post-Journal is reporting that current City Development Director Vince DeJoy is retiring from his position with today being his final day at the position.

In what could also be viewed as a resignation rather than a retirement, DeJoy is leaving the director’s position so he could accept a position with Safelite AutoGlass repair and replacement company.

DeJoy has served as director or development for nearly seven years, having been appointed to the position by Mayor Sam Teresi in February 2013 to replace then out-going development director Steve Centi. Prior to that he has served on the Jamestown City Council, representing Ward 4 since January 2008.

DeJoy’s term as development director was set to expire at the end of this year and there was no guarantee on if mayor elect Eddie Sundquist (D) had planned to keep him on board as part of the new administration, or if he would be going in a different direction. Sundquist is currently putting together a transition team as he prepares to be sworn in on January 1.

Highlighting DeJoy’s tenure as development Director is the city receiving a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant from New York State. He’s also worked to streamline the reporting process for housing violations in order to better address neighborhood blight while also making it a focus to identify condemned homes, demolishing over 125 of them during the past five years. He oversaw several other development projects as well, including the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk.

While serving as development director, earlier this year DeJoy also worked to open a restaurant at the former Friendly’s location on S. Main Street. At the time Teresi noted that there would be no conflict of interest between DeJoy running a business operation in town while also serving as Development Director. Despite using his own capital along with investments from his family, along with a $50,000 grant from the county IDA, Jimmy’s Family Restaurant closed within three months of its early August opening due to unanticipated costs associated with running the business.

Jamestown Principal Planner Crystal Surdyk will coordinate the development department until Sundquist takes over and appoints a permanent new director of development.