best practices economic development
Building Brevard’s Competitive Edge
michaelWILLIAMS
Michael H. Williams is president of M.H. Williams Construction Group, Inc. and serves as chairman of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast’s Development Council.
Turning Permitting Into an Asset Not a Quagmire
When the going gets tough, the tough get…competitive. That’s exactly what a group of business leaders across the Space Coast are focusing on as the economy continues to fluctuate.
Led by the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, representatives from local archi- tecture, engineering and construction firms are part of a collaborative effort seeking to identify impediments to the structural growth of Brevard County. Known as the Development Council, this group takes action that directly aligns with the EDC’s aggressive strategic priorities to make the Space Coast more business friendly. Development across the county, state and nation has
slowed considerably since the boom days seen just a few years ago. When the real estate market was red hot, we didn’t have the necessary time or resources to help change the system. Today, one of the main
questions clients are asking developers is how fast the permitting process can be completed on a to-be-built commercial structure. Making this process more efficient represents a large competitive advantage for our area when businesses are looking to relocate.
Efficient is Effective Over the past year, the Development Council has
been formulating plans and putting into motion initia- tives to make the permitting approval process more progressive at both the county and municipal levels. With introduction from our local area chambers of commerce, the council has presented ideas and ways to streamline current building permit and site planning processes that each city can implement for its individual needs. Not only would these ideas cut down on the amount of time it takes for final approval, but the efficiencies could also potentially lead to cost savings. For instance, some of the ideas proposed are
already up and running at a number of municipali- ties throughout Brevard. Several items – like reviewing
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spacecoastbusiness.com
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