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Jim Knight - Chief Development Officer
When we last visited with Bury+Partners, Chief Development Officer Jim Knight there were drawings and plans on the floors, tables and walls — a rare glimpse at Austin's future — with designs for buildings and projects still on the drawing board. Knight is one of the go-to people for Austin real estate and development. It's clear that Knight's love for Austin is very real. Knight is a master of what he does: civil engineering and development. I caught up with him earlier this week and asked him a few questions about what projects Bury + Partners has in the works. We also discussed his thoughts on one of the engineering world's most pressing concerns — the nation and Austin's infrastructure.
ABJ: Tell us what Bury+Partners is working on in Austin right now.
Knight: We are fortunate to have many opportunities in this economy. Our Managed Electrical and Plumbing, Land Planning and Landscape Architecture practices are very busy. In addition, our infrastructure team is busy with new roadway designs for the Braker Lane extension and Decker Lake roadway extensions to wastewater treatment plants for the city of Austin.
ABJ: How do visions of a developer and a civil engineer coincide?
Knight: It takes more than an engineer to understand how to make a project successful. It takes a true adviser and consultant. Someone who understands entitlements, construction techniques, financing issues, property disposition, and legal and environmental ramifications of every aspect of a project to make sure no gaps exist. With this type of input the developer and owner have the best chance for success. What's that initial meeting in the board room and of the minds like? Open and honest. Anything short of that leads to failure.
ABJ: What would you say are the biggest challenges for developers here in Austin and why?
Knight: The city's current rule and ordinance changes seem to constantly add cost, restrictions and time delays for property owners. If we aren't careful, more and more developers will focus on the surrounding areas and bypass Austin. This is already happening for some product types and may become more noticed as the rules seem to get more difficult to deal with.
ABJ: Over the years, the American Society of Civil Engineers has called for greater awareness and attention to the nation's crumbling infrastructure. Would you say we as a nation, state and city need to pay greater attention to our infrastructure?
Knight: Without a major focus on building new water and wastewater systems, roadways, and rebuilding and maintaining the ones we have, we will force the community to create sprawl and regional nodes for long-term development. We can't continue to lean on the private sector to build and maintain these. If we do, this will push owners and developers to other surrounding communities and create an Austin that doesn't grow as fast as the adjacent cities.
