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Industrial development in Gresham has taken off, and it’s no coincidence that the city has focused the last few years on breaking down barriers to help make it happen.

In addition to redefining and streamlining its permit processes, the city now gives guaranteed deadlines for review and approval of permits, and even developed apps with interactive maps for investors and developers to locate property in Gresham.

Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis gave details of the city’s progress April 7 at a Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon when he repeated his catchphrase for attracting new business.

鈥淲e want to bring your business to Gresham, get you what you need and then get out of your way,鈥� he said.

New developments in the works in the city include a $12.7 million expansion by wholesale baking company Teeny Foods at Northeast 170^th Place, bringing the company’s production space from 47,000 square feet to 127,000 square feet. Construction is expected to be completed this fall. The Gresham City Council approved a three-year tax abatement for the project.

In addition, two 鈥渟pec buildings鈥� totaling 423,000 square feet were built at the Southshore Corporate Center on Northeast Riverside Parkway and at the corner of 181^st Avenue and Sandy Boulevard. Two other buildings, totaling 200,000 square feet, are currently in the city’s land use review process.

Other developments in the planning stages include $1.2 million Shamrock Foods is investing in the former Charlie’s Produce building on San Rafael Street for the company’s first food distribution operation in Oregon.

Grocery Outlet also is investing $1.4 million for improvements to a 185,000-square-foot building in the Cascade Distribution Center at Sandy Boulevard and 202^nd Avenue. The Gresham City Council last month approved a five-year Enterprise Zone tax abatement for the project.

In addition, global logistics company SEKO is building a 23,000-square-foot, $1.2 million industrial space on Sandy Boulevard, which should be completed this year. With its existing building, that will give SEKO more than 50,000 feet of space, said owner Paul Burkhardt.

The existing building was finished in 2008, and Burkhardt said the difference between working with the city then compared with now is like night and day.

鈥淲hen we built this building, the fees and charges and difficulty were pretty great,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow the attitude is totally different. They are really helpful, really friendly. They have a fast-track program to push through permits more quickly, and the permit fees are much less than they were.鈥�

That means that the city gets less in fees in the short run, Burkhardt said, but more in future taxes.

鈥淲ith my first building, (the fees were) based on the number of jobs (created), and now it is based on what kind of tax we’ll be creating for our building.鈥�

Bemis emphasized the city’s pro-active attitude toward business in his state of the city address earlier this year, calling for incentive programs to be formalized and for the city to look at the big picture.

鈥淧ut simply, in order to succeed locally, we must engage globally,鈥� he said during the address.

In addition to restructuring its fees, the city has online permit and tracking systems, Burkhardt said, and a fast-track program to push permits more quickly.

The city also developed interactive apps geared toward industrial site location and small business entrepreneurs. The Gresham Economic Development app, for example, provides an interactive map of Gresham properties and land for sale, information on local demographics, information about financial incentives and video testimonials. The Small Business Center app features an interactive map of available commercial space for rent, license and permit information, checklists for new or expanding businesses, and a business event calendar.

In 2014 Gresham became the first city in the state to guarantee turn-around time for industrial development review and approval, according to the city’s website. More incentives are still be worked on by the city.

Shannon Stadey, director of Economic Development Services for the city, said the current industrial building boom is a sure sign the city is getting it right when it comes to economic development.

鈥淥ur companies are doing well and staying put, and new companies are coming in,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat says, to me, Gresham is a good place to do business.鈥�

Burkhardt agrees that the city has gotten better at helping developers meet their goals.

鈥淭hey made recommendations and helped us find a grant, a new industrial grant application provided by the Gresham Redevelopment Commission to support light manufacturing and light industrial projects,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s been a pleasure working with this group.鈥�