The Charleston Urban Renewal Authority is officially hiring.
The board voted Tuesday during a special meeting to accept Executive Director Jim Edwards' resignation.
Edwards, who plans to leave the position in October, confirmed last week that he's leaving CURA to return to his hometown of Lakeland, Florida.
Board members discussed last-minute changes to the position's description and qualifications listed in the drafted job advertisement, such as whether it should include a salary range.
"If I'm looking at a job opportunity, a range of salary is important, because that's gonna thin out a lot of people," said Commissioner Charles Webb.
The board ultimately decided to ask that applicants list their own salary requirements, which it has done in the past, board Chairwoman Diane Strong-Treister said.
When the board last advertised the position in 2011, Strong-Treister said it received more than 40 applications.
"They went all the way from Seattle, Washington, to Portland, Maine, so we got a wide range. And at that time, we didn't know what we would get or what the [salary] ranges were, so I don't think we publicized that last time, we just opened it up to see what we would get."
CURA's legal counsel, Joyce Ofsa, said applicants are "coming from so many jurisdictions that the ranges are across the board, and we don't want to, say, offer $100,000 if you don't have to."
Strong-Treister confirmed after the meeting that Edwards' starting salary in 2011 was $90,000 a year.
The position requires at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in real estate, planning, business, architecture, urban studies or a similar field, along with a minimum of 10 years experience in community redevelopment and revitalization.
Among other duties, CURA's executive director handles real estate development inquiries, agreements and acquisitions; coordinates requested zoning changes for CURA projects; and maintains a working relationship with both public and private local agencies.
"We're not simply looking for someone to administer an agency, but to redevelop a community," Edwards said. "It's all about results."
Over the past five years, Edwards said, he thinks CURA has become more proactive in identifying and addressing blighted properties, "as opposed to being passive and waiting for offers to come along."
Among what he believes are the CURA-financed projects that will have the greatest impact include the renovated Staats Building on the West Side and the former B&B Loans Building at 174 Summers St., which will be redeveloped in tandem with the city's Brawley Walkway enhancement project.
The job advertisement will be published immediately, and CURA will accept applications until Aug. 31.
It will also be sent to outlets including the Urban Land Institute, the International Downtown Association, American Planning Association and Revitalization News.
Strong-Treister and commissioners Lew Tyree and Andrew Jordon will also form a committee to review incoming applications.
Also on Tuesday, the board voted to accept Edwards' recommendation to increase the salary of CURA's administrative assistant from $30,000 to $33,000.
"It hasn't been increased in quite a while," Edwards said.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.