Planning & Development Commissioner Maurice Cox Resigns

Chicago’s Department of Planning & Development will soon have a new leader.

Maurice Cox, commissioner of the department, submitted his letter of resignation to Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday, Crain’s reported. It remains unclear, however, exactly when he will officially step down, as he hasn’t announced his last day yet.

Cox began his tenure as commissioner in 2019, joining former mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. Johnson has yet to determine Cox’s replacement, but he’s expected to name a new Chicago police superintendent this weekend.

Cox’s resignation follows that of former Housing Commissioner Marisa Novara and Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi. Johnson had requested commissioners to stay on for about 90 days after his inauguration on May 15 to ensure continuity and evaluate their compatibility.

Cox was hailed as an important get for Lightfoot, who lured him away from the top city planning position in Detroit. He helped facilitate Lightfoot initiatives such as Invest South/West and LaSalle Street Reimagined, with the goal of transforming old and vacancy-ridden Loop office buildings into mixed-income residential areas. These programs still need some more backing from Johnson and Chicago City Council in order to be carried out, though.

Cox also worked to better coordinate development efforts with the council and other departments by appointing city planners to oversee geographic sections of the city.

However, some local developers have criticized him, largely because of a sluggish design-review process that’s hindered several large-scale projects.

Some potential successors reportedly being eyed for Cox’s replacement include DLA Piper zoning attorney Rich Klawiter and Teresa Córdova, director of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago. Klawiter was reported by the publication to have told colleagues he doesn’t want the planning job, though.

— Quinn Donoghue