A rebound in residential building permit activity in Red Deer has proven to be short-lived. The city reported on Tuesday that it issued permits for $5.5 million worth of work on residential projects last month, down from nearly $29 million in July 2008.
There had been some optimism that the construction slowdown might be at an end when Red Deer’s residential building permit tally for June hit $10.2 million — the first month this year that the 2009 figure topped the total for the corresponding month in 2008. Overall, the city approved $53.1 million worth of construction last month, less than half the $116.9-million tally recorded in July 2008.
Commercial building last month resulted in permits for $6.4 million in work. In July 2008, the figure was $1.1 million. The value of permits for industrial projects fell to $715,000 from $44.8 million a year ago, and work in the public category remained relatively constant at $40.4 million this July, as compared with $42 million a year ago. The biggest permit issued last month was a $40-million approval to Medican Construction Ltd. for the Extendicare building on Michener Hill. A news release accompanying the July building permit stats said the values are likely to fluctuate over the next few months. So far this year, the city has authorized $170.1 million in construction. Last year to the same point the figure was $291.4 million.