Phil Ryan, the recently resigned executive director of the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, will receive a severance package valued at least a year's worth of his salary. That amount was $152,880 in 2012.

It is worth noting that many folks (if they are so fortunate) get for their severances one week's worth of salary for each year worked at their respective places of employment. Ryan was at MDHA for 21 years, with the last 11 of those as ED. Using the aforementioned formula, he would have received no more than approximately $62,000.

Our colleague Ken Whitehouse has the story at The City Paper's site.

MTC on this, but MDHA Executive Director Phil Ryan will offer his resignation to the board tomorrow:

At its monthly meeting tomorrow, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency will be asked to approve an agreement which includes the resignation of Executive Director Phil Ryan from his position after 21 years of service with nearly 11 in the executive director’s role.

“I am fortunate to have worked with the dedicated and proud MDHA team for more than two decades,” said Ryan.  “Our focus has been on serving the more than 28,000 residents we house, on sustainable downtown and on neighborhood redevelopment.  I’ve given my all to the job, seven days a week, and after much thought, I feel now is a good time for me to pursue other career opportunities.”

Accomplishments under Ryan’s leadership include:

- Significant renovations or rebuilds at 14 of 20 MDHA residential properties, as well as plans for redevelopment of Cayce Place in East Nashville.

- Significant investment in sustainability at MDHA properties resulting in MDHA becoming one of the ten largest solar power generators in the city as well as one of the largest users of extremely high-efficiency variable refrigerant volume (VRV) heating and cooling systems for residential property in Nashville

- Development of MDHA into one of the largest residential users of geothermal heating and cooling, LED lighting, and low-flow water systems

- Expanded use of tax increment financing, with MDHA-supported renovation or adaptation of nearly two dozen historic structures, including the Hermitage Hotel and the redevelopment of multiple historic commercial structures for residential use.

- Partnering with the Convention Center Authority to acquire land for the soon-to-open Music City Center, the Omni Hotel and an expanded Country Music Hall of Fame.

- Managed MDHA to a high performer designation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development while reducing the agency’s workforce by approximately 25%.

- Led the creation of redevelopment plans for the east and west banks of the Cumberland River

- Instituted the creation of new redevelopment districts and pushed the creation of new infrastructure and streetscape projects in East Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood, 12th Avenue South, Jefferson Street, Dickerson Road, Charlotte Pike and many other Nashville neighborhoods.

“There are few streets in Nashville’s central city that our community development work has not affected, but we haven’t stopped there,” said Ryan. “From parks, sidewalks, drainage, signage, the Edgehill Polar Bears to recovery efforts from the historic 2010 floods, MDHA’s impact is visible throughout the community and I’m very proud of the work we’ve done.”

MDHA Board Chairman Ralph Mosley said, “Phil has pursued efficiency and service to our residents and to Nashville’s citizens untiringly.  We wish him the best.  MDHA will continue striving to fulfill its mission to create affordable housing opportunities for Nashvillians, nurture our neighborhoods, and build a greater downtown.”

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency officials have approved about a dozen applications from local artists to live in the Ryman Lofts, a 60-unit building that will open its doors on Rolling Mill Hill next spring. Nina Cardona has more details on how the project is progressing and just who has been applying to live there.

Well, this won't hurt Nashville's image on the East Coast. The New York Times' Square Feet section checks in on the progress at Rolling Mill Hill, where the Trolley Barns are welcoming tenants and the various apartments are filling up.

There are still about 4.5 acres of undeveloped land on the rolling campus, and there has been talk about luring a hotel and other mixed-use projects there. Already, around $50 million of commercial and residential investment, mostly private, has been poured into the project. An additional $14 million in public money has been spent on environmental cleanup, clearing a greenway and installing underground utilities.