Residential construction activity in Red Deer hasn’t returned to the record levels of 2007.
But it’s strengthened considerably from last year’s lethargic pace, with the value of the building permits issued by the city during the first quarter of 2010 nearly double the figure for the same period last year.
Red Deer’s Inspections and Licensing Department reported on Thursday that it approved $7.3 million worth of residential construction in March.
That was up from $2.4 million a year earlier, and brought the tally for the first quarter of 2010 to $18.5 million — as compared with $9.5 million for the same three months in 2009.
However, building permit values for commercial, industrial and public projects are all down this year, as compared with the first quarter of 2010: to $3.2 million from $6.1 million in the case of commercial work, to $307,000 from $595,000 in the industrial category, and to $300,000 from $900,000 for public projects.
The total value of all construction work approved by the city so far this year is $22.3 million. Last year at this time, the figure was $17.1 million.
Among the bigger building permits issued by the city last month was one valued at $1 million for development of a new Bed Bath & Beyond store in the former Linens ‘n Things premises in Southpointe Common.