The pace of residential construction in Red Deer continues to exceed that of a year ago, according to activity at the city’s Inspections and Licensing Department.
In April, the city approved residential projects worth an estimated $8.8 million. That’s up from the $6.7 million in permits issued during the same month in 2009.
A news release from Inspections and Licensing noted that permits for single-family homes accounted for $7.5 million of last month’s total, up from $1.9 million for single-family projects in April 2009.
However, the total value of work approved in all construction categories declined year over year, dropping to $10.4 million from $18.1 million. Last April’s permits included one in the public category for $9.8 million, related to the Bethany CollegeSide long-term care centre, whereas this April there were no permits for public projects.
Approvals for commercial work last month totalled $1.4 million, down from $1.6 million in April 2009. Industrial permits accounted for $125,000, up from $60,000 a year earlier.
Among the bigger projects approved last month were renovations to the Old Navy store in Southpointe Common, with these valued at $517,000.
During the first four months of 2010, the city has approved $32.5 million in construction, down from $35.2 million to the same point in 2009.
Residential permit values make up $27.1 million of the 2010 total, well ahead of the $16.2 million figure to the end of last April.
Commercial work accounts for $4.6 million in permits this year, down from $7.7 million; industrial is $432,000, down from $655,000; and public projects have generated $300,000 in approvals, down from $10.7 million a year earlier.