A lengthy streak of year-over-year residential building permit increases in Red Deer came to an end last month.
The city approved nearly $6.4 million in residential construction in May, down about $100,000 from the same month in 2009.
That marked the first month since last July that the previous year’s tally in the residential category was not surpassed.
However, the cumulative value of residential permits issued so far this year — $32.9 million — is about 45 per cent higher than for the same five-month period in 2009, when $22.6 million worth of work was approved.
With commercial, industrial and public permits are added to the mix, the city’s Inspections and Licencing Department is nearly $5 million behind its 2009 pace to the end of May. This year, $40.6 million worth of projects have been approved, down from $45.4 million.
The gap grew by $1.5 million last month, with the May 2010 total of $8.7 million including $1.3 million in the commercial category and $1.1 million in industrial work.
Last May, commercial and industrial projects produced only $960,000 and $90,000 in permits respectively, but $2.7 million in public work was also approved.
A news release issued by the city noted that the May 2009 permits included one for approximately $2.2 million worth of renovations at Aspen Heights Elementary School.
Among the bigger building permits issued by the city last month was one valued at $550,000 for development of the Julietta’s Place women’s care facility at 4917 55th St.