City Council & Eastport CRA approve Economic Incentive Agreement for BIK Boom Trucks SE

BIK Boom Trucks LLC. (BIK) has requested financial assistance from the Eastport Business Center Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) under the Targeted Business Program. The request is for reimbursement of $103,041.93 for development fees at 4460 Eastport Parkway within the Eastport Business and Technology Park. It also includes future reimbursement or a waiver of building permit fees for site lighting, signage, and fencing, and a Bald Eagle monitoring fee, if needed, with the combined total of these future reimbursements/waivers not to exceed $19,000. BIK is also in the process of purchasing the adjacent vacant lot. BIK plans to initially use this lot as a storage yard for trucks awaiting shipment to clients. According to BIK, in the future, the site could be further developed to include an additional building with office space and a manufacturing floor, establishing the area as a hub for its U.S. growth. The expansion plans for the adjacent property will depend on the strength of growth during the first year. Location map of the current BIK site at 4460 Eastport Parkway and expansion site at 4440 Eastport Parkway According to the applicant’s letters of request, BIK is making a $6,000,000 investment in the City. The request letter states that BIK, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, has selected the Port Orange site to expand its assembly, customization, and service operations of specialized boom trucks for Florida and the Southeast region (BIK Boom Trucks on YouTube). The project is part of BIK’s expansion plan. The ±18,723-square-foot building (1st Floor – 15,620 sq. ft.; 2nd Floor – 3,103 sq. ft.) will serve as BIK’s U.S. headquarters and is anticipated to be completed in late 2026. Rendering of the BIK Headquarters Building at 4460 Eastport Parkway within the Eastport Business and Technology Park The development fees requested for reimbursement include site plan and site inspection fees, building permit and inspection fees, and costs associated with the removal and relocation of gopher tortoises and eagle monitoring requirements (the southwest corner of the site is located 660 feet of an active eagle's nest). The refund may not be applied to impact fees and utility connection fees. The amount of assistance is based on actual fees paid to date and estimates of final development fees that must be paid before a Certificate of Occupancy can be issued. According to the applicant’s letters of request, BIK will be building knuckle boom trucks, grapplesaw trucks, and truck-mounted forklifts. It will initially employ up to 20 individuals, who will be highly skilled technicians with salaries in the mid-$30s per hour range. Hiring is expected to increase gradually, reaching an estimated total of 45–50 positions across both properties once fully operational. Photos of the trucks to be produced at the Port Orange BIK Facility The Eastport CRA Redevelopment Plan allows incentives for businesses locating or expanding within the CRA, as outlined in Chapter 20 of the City’s Land Development Code (LDC). The Targeted Business Program is designed to promote new development and redevelopment, reward the creation and retention of value-added jobs, attract targeted businesses, revitalize redevelopment areas, expand the nonresidential tax base, and diversify employment opportunities. Incentives may be extended to retain, enhance, or relocate targeted businesses within the City. The applicant seeks an Economic Incentive Agreement (EIA) for reimbursement of the following fees that have already been paid ($103,041.93), along with future reimbursement or waiver of building permit fees for site lighting, signage, and fencing, in addition to any required Eagle monitoring fee, with the combined total of these future reimbursements/waivers not to exceed $19,000. The funds used to reimburse or waive the fees listed below would be from the CRA’s fund balance. The estimated Eastport CRA fund balance at the end of FY 2025 is $933,902, which may be allocated toward any project identified in the current Eastport CRA Plan, including development incentives. Site Plan Fee - Paid $4,500.00 Site Inspection Fee - Paid $26,011.28 Building Permit Fee - Paid $43,836.80 Building Permit Dumpster Fee - Paid $199.85 Gopher Tortoise Relocation Fees (XX GT) - Paid $19,994.00 Bald Eagle Monitoring and Permit Fees - Paid $8,500.00 Total Fees Paid $103,041.93 Estimated Building Permit Fees - Site Lighting, Fencing, & Signage $1,500.00 Estimated Eagle Monitoring and Permit Fees (Oct 2025 to May 2026) if needed $17,500.00 Estimated Remaining Fees $19,000.00 Over the past five years, the City has approved three Economic Incentive Agreements (EIAs) for projects in Eastport: Be Strong, Pioneer Arms, and Sea Tow. These projects proposed buildings ranging in size from 10,000 to 20,000 square feet, with approved reimbursement or waiver amounts between $28,000 and $45,000. At the time those requests were submitted, the reimbursement or waiver amounts were based on estimated, not actual, costs for site work, building construction, and mitigation. Two of the three previously approved EIAs (Be Strong and Pioneer Arms) have since expired, as those projects did not move forward. When those EIAs were approved in 2022–2023, the reimbursement or waiver amounts ($42,000–$45,000) did not include gopher tortoise mitigation costs, as those were not known at the time of the requests. In addition, site and building inspection fees were lower, as overall construction and infrastructure costs were approximately 30% to 40% less than current levels. These factors contribute to the higher reimbursement or waiver amount requested by BIK compared to the prior Be Strong and Pioneer Arms EIAs. The BIK request is based on current construction and mitigation costs. | attachments=4 | reports=1