PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Providence’s director of economic opportunity will return to his job next week after being placed on unpaid leave following the Elorza administration’s disclosure that he signed a letter of intent to have the city lease space from a private building owner before going out to bid on the contract.

Brian Hull was placed on leave on Feb. 8, the morning after Target 12 reported he entered into a 10-year agreement with Northborough Realty Holdings LLC to lease space at 530 Broadway for a “one-stop job center” without the authorization of the City Council or the Board of Contract and Supply.

A spokesperson for the mayor later confirmed Hull signed the “non-binding” $2.5-million agreement nearly two months before the lease was put out to bid.

Hull, who earns $102,000 a year, is scheduled to return to his job Monday. He has repeatedly declined to comment.

Northborough Realty Holdings ended up being the sole bidder on a 10-year, $2.5 million lease, the exact same terms outlined in the October deal. The Elorza administration withdrew from the deal after the City Council Finance Committee raised questions about the contract.

It is uncommon for a city employee to sign an agreement with a building owner before the contract is put out to bid. The council and the Board of Contract and Supply are required to approve all build leases.

Emily Crowell, the mayor’s communications director, said the administration learned about the letter of intent long after it was signed. She also said the Providence-Cranston Workforce Development Board – the quasi-public agency the oversees the one-stop program – has “an existing long-term lease on another property, for which the city continues to have certain responsibilities.”

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Dan McGowan (dmcgowan@wpri.com) covers politics, education and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @danmcgowan