Bruce Alexander, the longtime Yale University official credited with improving town-gown relations and helping breathe new life into New Haven’s downtown, is retiring in June.
Yale President Peter Salovey announced the news Thursday in an email to the Yale community, saying Alexander would continue to work on special community projects on a part-time basis.
Former Yale President Richard Levin appointed Alexander as the university’s first vice president of New Haven and state affairs in 1998, a time when Levin was pushing to strengthen Yale’s relationship with the city.
His role was later expanded to include oversight of campus facilities planning, construction and operations.
Salovey credited Alexander with playing a key role in downtown’s recent renaissance. Under Alexander’s leadership, Salovey said, retail, dining and cultural districts on Broadway, Chapel Street and Whitney Avenue expanded and added national retailers like Apple, Patagonia and, soon, LLBean.
Other accomplishments include negotiating the purchase of the 136-acre Bayer complex in West Haven for a science campus, launching New Haven Promise, a scholarship program for city students, and helping to found Market New Haven to promote the city.
“In a remarkable 20 years of service to this university, Bruce has played a major role in the revitalization of New Haven, helped shape and steward our campus and built valuable partnerships with local and state communities,” Salovey wrote.
Lauren Zucker, associate vice president for New Haven affairs and University Properties, will take over Alexander’s town-gown duties, Salovey said. Other responsibilities will be split among various Yale officials.
Natalie Missakian can be reached at news @newhavenbiz.com
