GRESHAM GUARANTEES 66-DAY INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION REVIEW
News Release from City of Gresham
Posted on FlashAlert: August 6th, 2014 12:45 PM
GRESHAM, Ore. - The City of Gresham now guarantees a 66-day application process for industrial projects - a move that nearly cuts by half the state-mandated review time for developers and site selectors. Based on a survey of Oregon's largest cities, and land use and planning agencies, Gresham is believed to be the first city in Oregon to guarantee, in its own code, a shortened turnaround time for industrial application review and approval.
The industrial development code change was approved by the Gresham City Council in July, and takes effect Aug. 14. It is part of a two-year, Council-driven initiative to ensure that Gresham is one of the most competitive communities in which to do business in the Portland metropolitan region.
"We are patently focused on attracting and growing good jobs in our community. This is one concrete way the City can demonstrate our commitment to attracting industrial businesses to Gresham," Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis said. "We want to be a partner - not an impediment - to industrial development in our community; this change both enables us to be competitive and codifies our ability to meet the expectations of industrial businesses."
Under the new code, developers who want to build or renovate an industrial site in Gresham now have a stopwatch stitched into the application process. In Gresham, and some other cities, that process starts with a pre-application meeting. Once that meeting is scheduled, developers are now guaranteed - right in the rule book - by the City of Gresham that their application will be approved or denied in 66 days or less. That's a fraction of the current average industrial application review and approval time for the City, and a fraction of the state-mandated, 120-day process.
Shannon Stadey, acting director of Economic Development Services for the City, said the new code is aimed at boosting Gresham's strong industrial base.
Manufacturing, distribution, clean technology and professional service companies are the biggest employers in Gresham, where everything from medical equipment to microchips are made and where coffee, canned goods and airplane parts are shipped around the world. Millions of bank checks are processed each year in Gresham, along with thousands of jars of fruit jellies, preserves, syrups and sauces. According to the State of Oregon Employment Department, traded sector businesses in Gresham employ about 11,500 people. Boeing, US Bank, ON Semiconductor, Microchip Technology, Staples, Frito-Lay, Boyd Coffee Co., Pella Vinyl and Cascade Corporation are among the biggest employers in Gresham, Oregon's fourth-largest city.
"Industry is strong in Gresham, and we're hungry to grow the traded sector base," Stadey said. "We're open for business, and committed to being competitive. We're working hard to attract and grow companies, and contribute to regional economic growth."
As part of the City's competitiveness initiative, Gresham has streamlined and clarified its land use regulations and stepped up its targeted outreach to site selectors, including launching an economic development mobile app, GO Gresham.
For more than a decade, Gresham has assigned a "rapid response team" to industrial companies to help them expand and relocate on time and on budget. The team continues to partner with companies long after the project is complete, assisting with ongoing issues such as workforce training.
"As an industrial real estate brokerage practitioner, I can say that the City of Gresham is not just 'open for business,' it helps businesses thrive long after they've walked in the door," said Stuart Skaug, vice president of industrial properties for CBRE, Inc. in Portland. "The City's approach to industrial business attraction and retention is a great asset to economic development in the Portland metro region. The code change is just the latest example of their daily engagement on these issues."
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The industrial development code change was approved by the Gresham City Council in July, and takes effect Aug. 14. It is part of a two-year, Council-driven initiative to ensure that Gresham is one of the most competitive communities in which to do business in the Portland metropolitan region.
"We are patently focused on attracting and growing good jobs in our community. This is one concrete way the City can demonstrate our commitment to attracting industrial businesses to Gresham," Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis said. "We want to be a partner - not an impediment - to industrial development in our community; this change both enables us to be competitive and codifies our ability to meet the expectations of industrial businesses."
Under the new code, developers who want to build or renovate an industrial site in Gresham now have a stopwatch stitched into the application process. In Gresham, and some other cities, that process starts with a pre-application meeting. Once that meeting is scheduled, developers are now guaranteed - right in the rule book - by the City of Gresham that their application will be approved or denied in 66 days or less. That's a fraction of the current average industrial application review and approval time for the City, and a fraction of the state-mandated, 120-day process.
Shannon Stadey, acting director of Economic Development Services for the City, said the new code is aimed at boosting Gresham's strong industrial base.
Manufacturing, distribution, clean technology and professional service companies are the biggest employers in Gresham, where everything from medical equipment to microchips are made and where coffee, canned goods and airplane parts are shipped around the world. Millions of bank checks are processed each year in Gresham, along with thousands of jars of fruit jellies, preserves, syrups and sauces. According to the State of Oregon Employment Department, traded sector businesses in Gresham employ about 11,500 people. Boeing, US Bank, ON Semiconductor, Microchip Technology, Staples, Frito-Lay, Boyd Coffee Co., Pella Vinyl and Cascade Corporation are among the biggest employers in Gresham, Oregon's fourth-largest city.
"Industry is strong in Gresham, and we're hungry to grow the traded sector base," Stadey said. "We're open for business, and committed to being competitive. We're working hard to attract and grow companies, and contribute to regional economic growth."
As part of the City's competitiveness initiative, Gresham has streamlined and clarified its land use regulations and stepped up its targeted outreach to site selectors, including launching an economic development mobile app, GO Gresham.
For more than a decade, Gresham has assigned a "rapid response team" to industrial companies to help them expand and relocate on time and on budget. The team continues to partner with companies long after the project is complete, assisting with ongoing issues such as workforce training.
"As an industrial real estate brokerage practitioner, I can say that the City of Gresham is not just 'open for business,' it helps businesses thrive long after they've walked in the door," said Stuart Skaug, vice president of industrial properties for CBRE, Inc. in Portland. "The City's approach to industrial business attraction and retention is a great asset to economic development in the Portland metro region. The code change is just the latest example of their daily engagement on these issues."
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