Add affordable to the list of reasons to choose Riverside as a place to do business. A new report released on Monday found that Riverside had the lowest industrial and office permit fees of the 14 cities evaluated in the Kansas City metro.

The Greater Kansas City Municipal Development Report Card, produced by the Lewis White Real Estate Center at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and the Society for Industrial Office Realtors (SIOR), evaluated municipalities in the Kansas City metropolitan area to determine general time tables and fee structures and costs associated with development projects. 

Planning departments were presented with two projects – an office building and an industrial building, and were asked to provide an estimate on the amount of time it would take to review and approve the project, as well as the total fees for building and development.

Riverside estimated the fees for a $9.6 million, 60,000 square-foot office building would be $37,910 and the fees for a $10 million, 100,000 square-foot industrial building would be $39,110.  This is significantly lower than Overland Park, who had the highest fees for both projects – approximately $250,000 for the office building and $350,000 for the industrial building. 

Riverside also scored well in the category of permit approval time.  The City tied for fourth with Lee’s Summit, estimating 10 weeks to approve a project.

“We understand that the City of Riverside is one of many communities developers can choose from in the metro area,” Mike Duffy, Director of Community Development, said.  “We strive to make Riverside a great place to do business, and that includes having efficient processes and low development costs.”

The City of Riverside, Mo. is located 10 minutes north of downtown Kansas City.  Riverside is currently in the process of updating its 2006 award-winning master plan, part of which will focus on redevelopment of its downtown corridor and creating a plan for more than 600-acres of undeveloped land near Highway 9 and I-635.

For more information on Riverside’s rankings in this report or other development in the City, contact Mike Duffy, Director of Community Development, at (816) 365-3477 or mduffy@riversidemo.com.

… but there will be a fireworks show Thursday night!  In preparation for the City of Riverside’s new summer festival, BLAST, we’ll be conducting a test shoot on Thursday evening around 6:30 p.m.  The reason for the test shoot is to make sure fireworks can be seen from the intersection of Gateway and Vivion, where the festival will be held on June 26.  Most Riverside events, like Riverfest, are held in EH Young Park so fireworks are ususally shot from a barge on the river.  Please contact Meredith Hauck at 816-372-9023 or the Department of Public Safety at 816-741-1191 with any questions or concerns.  Otherwise, enjoy the show!