INNISFAIL - The 2018 building permit statistics have been released and despite ongoing pressures from the sluggish economy there are signs the town is finally seeing some relief.
The value of all building permits last year for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional development was $26,594,145. That's almost six times more than shown in 2017, which was $4,582,323. It is also the highest building permit value total since at least 2011.
However, $20.5 million of the total 2018 figure was for a single institutional building permit issued for the construction of the new Autumn Glen Lodge, a project that began last September. The year before there were three institutional building permits issued but with a total value of only $92,800.
However, even without the Autumn Glen project the 2018 building permit totals are about $1.5 million more than the year before.
"I think it is encouraging. It is the result of the new land developers generating some new lots," said Mayor Jim Romane. "Bella Vista has really made a commitment with construction on the west side of Highway 54. They have made a serious investment into the community and proposing to build some new show homes right away."
Aside from the one huge institutional building permit, the building permit statistics for 2018 released this month showed the town also made significant gains with residential development.
There were seven building permits issued last year for low density residential that was worth just over $2.7 million, compared to just four issued in 2017 worth $785,500. The town also recorded one multi-unit residential building permit last year worth $250,000, compared to zero in 2017.
And the residential development sector promises to get even better. At a council meeting last December, Gobi Singh, owner of Airdrie-based Creation Communities and developer of the 127-acre Bella Vista subdivision, said the first phase of the subdivision development will soon see up to 20 acres of residential development, which will include 44 new 1,200- to 1,300-square-foot homes — 14 villa style and 30 single family home dwellings with a price tag in the $320- to $330,000 range. Council endorsed Singh's request to build four show homes — two villa-style structures and two single family dwelling models — by mid-year, which would be in time for this coming fall’s optimum selling season.
Meanwhile, the town held its own last year with the number and value of building permits for commercial and industrial development, as well as for those issued for garages and renovations.
In 2018 the town issued 16 commercial building permits valued at almost $2.2 million, which was slightly down from 2017 when seven permits were issued with a total value of $2,362,689.
With industrial building permits, the town issued four in 2018 with a total value of $238,000. The year before the town issued two permits valued at $529,200.
And last year the town issued 25 building permits for garages and renovations for a total value of $794,450. In 2017 there were 28 building permits issued worth $812,134.
