In a whale of a Friday afternoon news dump, Michael Neibauer reports from the press conference announcing Victor Hoskins‘ nomination as Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development that mayor Vince Gray is planning to bring back a development authority:

He also plans to reestablish quasi-public entities, like the disbandedAnacostia Waterfront Corp. and the National Capital Revitalization Corp., that can “make us more nimble” in addressing development in specific areas—around St. Elizabeths and the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, for example.

Former Mayor Adrian Fenty had eliminated those agencies and brought their work under DMPED, because, he argued at the time, they were moving too slowly.

Gray said he had supported that move as a member of the D.C. Council because it was early in Fenty’s term. “We wanted to give the mayor the opportunity to run his administration,” Gray said, adding that he did convey his concerns to Fenty at the time.

“Conceptually,” he said, “they were moving in the right direction to get things done.”

Office of Planning director Harriet Tregoning, whose opinion Gray respects quite a bit, thought this might happen a few weeks ago. And it’s not going to make Councilmember Jack Evans very happy.