Red Deer’s April building permit values more than tripled the same month last year, driven by strong, commercial, industrial and public building development.
There were $21.4 million worth of building permits issued last month, compared with $6 million a year ago.
Westerner Park’s new 70,000-square-foot $15-million Exhibition Hall was the big project for the month. However, a pair of multi-million commercial improvements permits, $3.7 million for PharmaSave tenant improvements at 4309 52nd Ave., and $3.6 million in renovations to the south Walmart were also significant.
For the year, 285 building permits worth $82.3 million have been issued, compared with 311 permits worth $35.4 million through the first four months of last year.
The April increase was led by a healthy increase in commercial permits with 18 issued worth $19.7 million last month, compared with 10 worth $2 million in April 2017. For the year, commercial permit values have more than doubled, with 68 issued worth $44.7 million, against 73 permits worth $19.6 million a year ago.
On the residential side, 57 permits worth $1.5 million were issued last month, compared with 62 worth $3.9 million a year ago.
Over the first four months of the year, residential permits are trailing last year’s pace with 186 permits worth $8.9 million issued, compared with 238 worth $15.7 million last year.
Industrial permits are up this year. Through the first four months of the year 14 permits worth $3.7 million have been issued. None were issued from January to April last year.
Likewise, not a single public building permit was issued from January through April 2017, but this year 17 worth $24.7 million have gone out.