KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The city of Kissimmee is on track for a booming year with an above-average number of building permits expected to be pulled. Leaders hope a new addition to city hall just for the building division will make it even easier for growth to come to the area.
Craig Holland, the city’s development services director, said the building division is one of the busiest departments at city hall.
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“It’s very busy. We typically do about 4,000 permits a year on a good year and we typically have really good years,” Holland said.
Holland said they’re anticipating even more permits will be pulled this year as developers build single-family and multifamily homes across the city.
But Holland said his department is experiencing growing pains. Currently, his employees are spread across three floors at city hall. He adds they’re running out of room as more staff come on board.
“Right now we’re kind of busting at the seams and we need more space to put other staff, and to allow other people to not be so crammed into corners and storage closets for offices and things like that,” Holland said.
The city spent the last three years making plans to build a brand new permit office at city hall. The 12,000-square-foot, two-story addition will cost $5 million.
Holland said the city’s building division is covering the costs. He said the design and construction are paid for using money collected from permit fees and inspection fees. Holland said the department collects $3 million on average a year.
Holland said those fees can only be used in the building division, covering salaries, materials and now expanding the office.
“We’re not using general funds to support this at all, it’s all fee driven,” he said.
Holland hopes construction on the new addition will be complete by next year. He said it will make a smoother process for developers, contractors, and residents to pull permits.
“I think it will be easier to come to city hall and go to get a permit because it will be its own separate entrance and it will be a more comfortable lobby, so I’m anticipating that it will be easier,” Holland said.
He adds they’re leaving plenty of room to grow as development continues to come to the area.
“We also programmed in space for growth, which you do for any new structure. You want to plan for growth and plan for things getting busier, so you have to add people and things like that,” Holland said.