Developers report city processes are improving

In early 2024, developer Royce Reding was feeling frustrated by his interactions with city of Springfield inspectors.

Reding, who specializes in rehabbing housing units, was interviewed by Springfield Business Journal in late February of that year, and he described differing opinions among initial and follow-up inspectors with different interpretations of code being applied to his properties, creating delays and unexpected work and costs.

Reding develops under several company names, including REDEC LLC, organized under the holding company RedCo Holdings LLC.

But a few weeks ago, Reding – who has 24 active projects – emailed SBJ with some good news: The situation had gotten a lot better, particularly in his dealings with the city’s Building Development Services department.

“Things have really improved with the city, and I think we’re doing some great work on some old, dilapidated homes and apartment complexes,” he wrote.

The walls of the former Vista Creek Apartments he’s renovating at 2832 E. University St. offer one example of the improvements he’s seeing.

“We didn’t have to tear all of this out. We were able to come in and drywall or skin these walls and apply the new texture on it. The old drywall’s still behind it,” he said.

At an estimated cost of $4 million, Reding is revamping the dilapidated complex into The U, so named because of its two sections arranged in U shapes around central courtyards.

Like most of Reding’s projects, the apartment complex was in poor condition when he bought it in October 2024, but now half of it is nearly move-in ready. It sports new roofs and soffits, a fresh coat of light gray paint and new landscaping.

Inside, the apartments feature hardwood floors and stainless steel fixtures, with light-textured plaster treatments on the soft-white walls.

Reding said city staff have worked with his team on issues they have encountered.

“Instead of there being a one-size-fits-all solution, they’ve been willing to come in and say, hey, if you’re not changing something structurally, we’re willing to take a specialized look at the project.”

According to Reding, positive change began under former BDS Director Brock Rowe, who vacated the post in July 2024. Martin Gugel took over three months later after having served as interim BDS director. Gugel had served as assistant director in the city’s Public Works Department, and Reding said he has brought marked improvements to the office.

For the past three months, Reding said, new City Manager David Cameron, on the job since July, has been a change-maker.

“I’ve seen a remarkable change since David Cameron’s taken leadership,” Reding said. “He can listen and hear the concerns of the community; he can listen and hear the concerns of the developers. He can then take both of those perspectives and really try to flesh out a solution that’s good for Springfield as a whole.”

Reding also credited Brad Musick, assistant director of BDS, for trying to resolve issues.

“There’s been a continual upward swing, but even since David’s been in, there’s a remarkable change in the perspective that staff’s able to look at a project with, the timeliness with which we’ve seen results,” Reding said.

Reding said he has heard city staff refer to their directive to listen and figure out a practice approach that can become a win for the community. It’s a strategy that is saving time, especially in his work on The U.

“Time’s money for us,” he said. “I can still walk you by some projects that are just sitting. We’re seeing overall improvement, but there’s still some hiccups.”

Josh Manning, owner of Valiant Group, said by email that he, too, has noted continuous improvements with the city. He added he has consistently had a good working relationship with BDS and has found the department to be responsive and fair to work with.

“Our projects often involve some of the city’s most challenging properties – blighted, vacant or structurally compromised homes – so strong communication and collaboration with their department is essential,” he said.

The key to success has been working closely with city building inspectors ahead of time to get a full understanding of requirements and to communicate Valiant Group’s plans from the start. Being proactive helps both sides avoid surprises while keeping projects moving efficiently, he said.

“In recent years, we’ve seen continued improvement in consistency, responsiveness and willingness from the department to problem-solve alongside developers,” Manning said. “That kind of partnership makes it possible to tackle difficult revitalization projects that truly improve neighborhoods and housing stock.”

Brad Thessing of Thessing Commercial Properties LLC said by text message that in his interactions with city development staff, he has observed key hires that have helped streamline processes in areas that needed improvement.

“It also helps to have a City Council that’s pro-growth and pro-business,” he said.

Serving city customers
For his part, BDS Director Gugel said he regards everyone in the city – developers and residents – as customers deserving to be served, whether their projects are big or small.

“We’re trying to treat each one with consistency,” he said. “It’s good to hear back from those groups that things are trending in the right direction. We want to continue to build on that.”

Gugel credited the professionals in his department who take pride in their work and are dedicated to helping customers.

“We’re there to help,” he said. “We’re not here to police things; we’re here to make sure we’re helping them to achieve successful outcomes. The staff is awesome at doing that, and my job is to give them the resources they need.”

Gugel said he has been providing opportunities for the BDS staff to obtain professional development and training.

“They’re the ones that are interfacing with everyone on a daily basis,” he said. “If we can invest in our staff to help them, that’s key.”

In July, Gugel set up two days of training with Bill Clayton, who is based in Washington state with Shums Coda Associates. All BDS employees, from inspectors to office staff, were able to participate in at least part of the training, and the office remained open the whole time, he said. The training cost about $2,000.

“Nothing can be in-person training,” Gugel said. “It can be more interactive. Even on breaks, they can take advantage of the time to approach speakers and ask questions or give specific examples of things that have come up. That’s the best training you can get.”

Also helping matters is the fact that staffing in BDS is nearly full, Gugel said, except for one plan reviewer position.

“Having a full staff is greatly helpful,” he said. “At slow times we can pick up stuff that needs to get done but hasn’t been a priority, and at busy times, it’s all hands on deck as staff help each other out.”

The staff frequently looks at processes and procedures and brainstorms on ways to improve them, Gugel said.

Gugel noted BDS has made three administrative hires that have helped him and Musick to provide solid leadership to the 40-member team.

One is Bill Pears, building division administrator. Gugel said Pears works with development customers and is the first interaction that BDS has with a new development.

Another is Travis Campbell, code administrator, who Gugel said is in charge of the construction side of things, with inspectors for commercial and residential construction and responsibility over blighted properties.

The newest – a position filled in January of this year – is Landon Nash, code compliance investigator. Nash deals with property maintenance while also serving as a liaison between the city and different neighborhood groups.

“We’re working to help find solutions to some of the problems they’re facing,” Gugel said of neighborhood residents.

Gugel said communication is another focus area for improvement, and he has received guidance from the office of Public Information and Civic Engagement in getting that part right.

“Communication is key,” he said. “We’re doing a better job as a department of getting that information out there to the public, and we’re in the process of really looking at our messaging.”

Communication has been helpful in addressing the needs of developers like Reding.

“He’ll come in and have a meeting with us and give us a forecast of what he’s looking at doing,” Gugel said. “We try to help him identify points within that project that he’ll need to be mindful of as he moves forward. We want to do that with every developer, big or small.”

Customers can pick up the phone and call or they can drop in, Gugel said.

“If we have ongoing communication with our customers, it helps when issues come up,” he said. “If a problem does come up, it’s easier to get through if we have established relationships and communication that’s happened in the past.”

Gugel said his department’s success metric is based on its tracking of several key numbers, including the number of units requiring reinspection and the number of days it takes to address any violations found.

He added that as his department continues to work on improving its operations, he appreciates the support he has received from the City Council and the city manager’s office.

“They can’t give us everything we need, but they give us what they can,” he said.