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After years of delay, developer Steven Ribeiro said in May he was set to resume work in Independence on the 58,000-square-foot building he claims will be the most energy-efficient structure in the world.

“We’re ready to hit it hard,” he said at the time.

A few months later, Independence City Manager Dave Clyne said the only visible difference at the construction site is that some of the debris has been removed.

“The cleanup was definitely visible, so people are grateful for that,” Clyne said. “He was probably cleaning it up for investors, so we remain hopeful, but we also remain vigilant.”

Ribeiro could not be reached for comment.

City officials have given Ribeiro a deadline for finishing his Independence Station project.

If the building is not done by early next year, city officials will take over the property at Second and Monmouth streets and boot him from the project. Officials have that leverage because Ribeiro owes them $548,000 in uncollected system development charges.

Ribeiro began work on Independence Station in late 2004. Construction quickly halted when Ribeiro and 20 other project parties were sued by the general contractor. Executives with Johnson Controls Inc. claimed that the defendants defaulted on $14.5 million in loans.

A federal judge in California dismissed the lawsuit late last year as the parties reached an out-of-court settlement.

Ribeiro said in May that clears the way for the project to finish. He insisted it will still be the “greenest” building in the world with food grown on aquaponic farms and an electrical system powered by a vegetable oil.

“He said he’s expecting to come to us shortly with news about the building,” Clyne said. “We’re waiting for that to happen. He hasn’t asked for any relief from our deadline, so that’s a good sign.”