The value of construction work approved by the City of Red Deer last month was down sharply from July 2011.
The city reported on Monday that it issued 135 permits worth $14.6 million last month, as compared with 151 permits for $25.4 million last July.
Most of the decrease could be attributed to the commercial category, which dropped to $6.5 million from $17.1 million.
Last July’s total was inflated by a $10.6-million permit for the Elements@Rivers Edge housing and commercial complex downtown and a $4.7 million permit for the Skyway Professional Centre medical office building at 5156 43rd St.
Residential permits added $7.1 million to the total for this July, as compared with $8 million a year ago; industrial approvals climbed to $894,000 from $314,000; and work in the public category contributed $163,000, up from $40,000.
Among the bigger permits issued last month was a $2.7-million approval for renovations to the Coronation Park Village seniors residence, and a $2.2-million permit for redevelopment of the Red Deer Co-op gas bar in Deer Park.
In June, the total value of permits issued was $21.9 million, with commercial work accounting for $9.2 million, residential projects $8.5 million, public work $2.7 million, and industrial construction $1.5 million.
Despite the year-over-year decrease in July, the cumulative value of permits issued so far in 2012 is well ahead of last year’s pace — to $142.4 million from $88.3 million.
Residential projects have jumped to $77.8 million from $44.8 million, commercial to $46.6 million from $33.4 million, industrial to $10.1 million from $4.8 million, and public to $7.9 million from $236,000.