Local builders continue to keep Red Deer’s Inspections and Licensing Department busy, with $10.4 million in construction work approved by the city last month.
The tally included permits for $6.6 million in work on residential projects. Commercial permits added another $3 million, with industrial approvals generating $512,000 and public work $325,000.
In April 2011, the total value of permits issued was $9.5 million. That consisted of $6.9 million for residential construction, $2.4 million for commercial projects and $210,000 in the industrial category.
During the first four months of 2012, the cumulative value of building permits issued by the city was $72.8 million, up from $45.4 million to the same point last year. Residential work accounted for $35.8 million, up from $23.2 million; approvals for commercial work tallied $26.7 million, up from $20.1 million; industrial permits were at $5.8 million, an improvement from $2.1 million; and public projects contributed $4.6 million, as compared with $45,000 during the first four months of 2011.
Among the larger projects approved by the city last month was interior renovation work at the former Park Plaza Cinema building at 5214 47th Ave. The $2.1-million permit, issued to Carnival Cinemas Corp, is for redevelopment of the building into an outreach school, office space and indoor parkade.
Park Plaza Theatre closed in January 2010 after more than 40 years of operation.