Grand Rapids Engineering

Grand Rapids

Land Development

Our Land Development Services are used for industrial, commercial, institutional or agricultural facilities. Our Grand Rapids Civil Engineers offer master plan development with due diligence and feasibility studies.

Land Development Services

As a land developer, return on your investment is your top priority. From selecting the site through engineering design and then through construction. Maximizing the value of your property starts with quality design, timely permitting, and exceptional follow-through. But how do you plan for the unexpected?
 
You’ll face environmental factors like streams, wetlands, and protected vegetation and species. You’ll need to be aware of transportation factors like parking, traffic patterns, and driveway locations. The site topography will play a large role. As will local jurisdictions, permits, and confidentiality. You should be aware of any buffering requirements. You’ll need a consulting firm with experience and know-how, one that will expect problems before they occur. Our civil engineers and land planners consult with the surveyors, traffic engineers, landscape architects, and environmental scientists to ensure an integrated design. This will position your project for success.
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Suite of Services

Whether your needs involve industrial or agricultural facilities, commercial or institutional developments, subdivisions or master-planned communities, our Grand Rapids Civil Engineers offer a full suite of land development services including master planning, due diligence and feasibility studies, entitlement services/strategies, site design, and permitting services. We’ll work as fast, as smart, and as hard as you do to fulfill the goals you have for your property.

Jack of All Trades

Land Development Engineers are indeed jacks of all trades, but they are often masters of those trades as well. When pulling together a land development project you are dealing with roadway, traffic, hydrology & hydraulics, utilities, etc. With a good 7-10 years of experience a talented engineer can fully master these concepts. This shows a high level of intelligence and a desire to learn.

Land Development is Stressful

Many people don’t like to see land development under way. It is difficult, messy, and traffic congested. The land development engineer is at the mercy of their client-the developer or the governing municipality. Some developers have the goal of fitting as many lots as possible within a parcel of land for the least amount of money. This might not be the best option. So the engineer is creative, and guides the developer to a more suitable, and still profitable solution. In some situations the engineer and developers hands are tied by the local city or county government. Planning regulations exist in each location based on the desires of the city managers and the local landowners. If enough citizens want some types of development stopped or minimized, that often is what we have to deal with. But, an experienced land development engineer can be very creative in these situations and save a project. He/she must adapt or find loopholes in the ordinances and regulations in place.

There is lots of pressure in land development work, often times ridiculous deadlines and expectations. Also, the land development engineer must deal with MANY different personalities, in addition to the client. Then there are attorneys, governmental agencies, surveyors, and land planners, and angry neighbors. During construction you add architects, builders, home buyers. I would tend to say an experienced land development engineer has learned to handle all of these stresses while getting the job done.

Our team of professional civil engineers provides land development services for the following markets and client types:

  • Commercial Buildings
  • Community Development
  • Multifamily Residential Buildings
  • Industrial Buildings
  • Office Buildings
  • Healthcare Facilities
  • Hotel and Hospitality Facilities
  • Municipal and District Engineering Services
commercial-development

Land Use & Entitlement Support

  • Property Due Diligence
  • Land Use Consulting
  • Chapter 245 Research
  • Utility Extension Requests
  • Zoning Applications
  • Land Subdivision (Platting)
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Site and Land Planning Services

  • Feasibility Studies
  • Master Planning
  • Cost Estimating
  • Master Site Plan Development
  • Site Investigation Reports

Site Development Design

  • Site Grading and Drainage Design
  • Stormwater Quality Ponds
  • Stormwater Detention Ponds
  • Site Utility Design
  • Site Paving Design
  • Cut/Fill Optimization
  • Erosion Control Plans
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Development Permitting Services

  • Site Development Permits
  • Public Improvement Plans
  • License Agreements
  • TCEQ Environmental Permits
  • US Army Corps of Engineers Permits
  • Construction Document Permitting
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Real Estate Market Study & Analysis

Our land use analysis experience includes a broad range of development types. These include residential, office, multi-family, industrial and retail clients. The residential capabilities include market and financial analyses for large-scale master planned developments. These include various key amenities such as golf, marinas and spas, as well as modifying existing projects for today’s environment. Land planning could also include target markets and the product type called for them. This might include pricing, amenities and absorption periods in context consumer demands.
 
Land development engineers also help in commercial land development. Their capabilities include evaluating the economic development potential of any type of use. These uses include office buildings, multi-family and industrial parks. Regional developments include retail, including malls, neighborhood centers, and specialty retail/entertainment developments.
 
Developers must have a concise vision of who the prospective buyers are and their specific needs and preferences. This has always been true. This requires a thorough market assessment of existing and new developments. This ranges from the overall project vision and strategy to the master plan. This involves site planning, the specific products and amenities. Truly understanding the current market realities enhances a project’s potential success.