Levin salutes Mayor DeStefano’s ‘impressive accomplishments’

In the wake of John DeStefano’s announcement that he would not seek re-election as New Haven’s mayor, Yale President Richard C. Levin released the following statement:

John DeStefano will be remembered as one of New Haven’s greatest mayors.

Over two decades he strengthened our neighborhoods and reduced crime, and he leaves in the midst of an imaginative, nationally-recognized initiative to reform our public schools.  

He encouraged the growth of Yale, the city’s largest employer, enabling us to expand our built space by 40% and to add 4,000 new jobs. He encouraged Yale to redevelop the Broadway and Chapel Street retail districts, as he himself pursued the re-creation of the Ninth Square. By supporting retailers, restaurants, residential development, and the arts, he has given New Haven the most vibrant downtown of any city in the state, and he has made New Haven a city that our students, staff, and faculty are proud to call home.

I have been fortunate to work with Mayor DeStefano on many critically important initiatives:  the redevelopment of Science Park, the establishment of New Haven as a center for biosciences research and innovation, the creation of the New Haven Jobs Pipeline, and an ambitious effort to inspire the city’s children and parents through the New Haven Promise scholarship program. John DeStefano has been an ally, a partner and a friend. I salute his impressive accomplishments, and I wish him the best as he takes on new challenges.