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Many people are caught by surprise when they suddenly see a brand-new business appear to be built and open overnight, or when an existing business is renovated or greatly expanded very quickly. This can lead to a lot of questions from those who have been following news about similar plans of other businesses that seem to take years, or decades, to come to fruition.
Whether brand-new to the area or simply a new location, expansion, or renovation of an existing business, there are many reasons some projects move forward more rapidly than others, no matter where they are located.
There can be many challenges to opening, expanding, or changing the location of any business. Some are logistical, like choosing the perfect spot; others are financial, like estimating construction costs and determining how much site preparation will be required before construction or renovation can commence and the business can open. Throughout every step, owners must consider their customer demographics. They also have to estimate anticipated income and their future operating costs, including ongoing maintenance.
Businesses have to do their due diligence. In some cases, they must determine whether new infrastructure will be needed to support their business operations, such as whether new or upgraded electric, water, or sewer capacity will be required at the desired location. They must make sure they comply with all zoning and other federal, state, and local laws. Plus, more often than not, owners run into regulatory hurdles, like waiting for specific permits, inspections, and approvals before they can move forward. Working through this preparatory process can lead to significant delays. Delays almost always add to overall cost projections.
When one entity, whether it is a single person or a small business partnership, works through this process, things often move much faster than when many more people are involved. For instance, when the general public is given many opportunities to weigh in on a consequential business decision, like selecting a new location for a fire hall, police headquarters, school, or hospital, it can slow the process down dramatically. The same is true when funds are sought from the government to help make this happen.
As in almost any situation, when there are more cooks in the kitchen, it inevitably slows things down.
Adding to that, many other things that can also slow the process down. For instance, it took a very long time to select a new site for Brooks Memorial Hospital. Planning began in 2016; however, delays were caused by the pandemic, disagreements about exactly where to build, and funding concerns. It took a considerable amount of time to work through these issues. Since a hospital is so consequential for so many in the area, including other businesses, many voices were heard before a partnership with Kaleida Health was established, final location and design decisions were made, and plans were revised. Thankfully, construction is now underway.
Watching so many new business establishments pop up in the area, while also seeing so much expansion and renovation at well-established businesses here, and agreements being finalized for important projects like the new Brooks Hospital, is good news for everyone living, working, and visiting here.
The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation’s Local Economic Development committee understands how challenging the process of renovating, expanding, or starting new businesses can be. LED members fully support efforts to bring new businesses to the area and to improve upon businesses already operating here. When this involves construction, they also support moving these projects along as quickly as possible, while also respecting the need to always take as much time as is required to do it right.
Patty Hammond is Economic Development Coordinator at the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation. The Local Economic Development (LED) Initiative is a standing committee of the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation (NCCF). Send comments or suggestions to Patty Hammond at phammond@nccfoundation.org