Although city officials and developers sometimes disagree with each other`s plans for the future, the two sides have worked together with growing efficiency in the past decade, according to Charles Kincaid, president of Charles Kincaid Associates, an Aurora-based real estate consulting firm.
”Municipalities and developers have recognized the need for economic growth and what it takes to achieve it,” Kincaid said.
Charles Kincaid Associates focuses on land development in DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties. Kincaid, in association with Robert McMillan as KMS Partnership, is the developer for Aurora`s historic roundhouse and train station renovation.
”The most evident sign of progressive cooperation is the formation of professional municipal staffs, such as planning committees and economic development commissions, to work with developers on a full-time basis,”
Kincaid said.
Developers also show signs of more cooperation. According to Kincaid, home builders and commercial real estate companies are ”concentrating on preparation. They are utilizing the land to a higher degree. On the administrative side, they are planning ahead to meet the city`s needs and reactions.”
To achieve this, the companies often hire consultants, usually local firms familiar with the town`s protocol and requirements.
