Building permit values in Red Deer were down last month, as compared with the same period in 2013.
The city approved $8.8 million worth of construction in February, a 25 per cent decline from $11.8 million a year earlier.
Residential permit values were slightly lower, slipping to $7.7 million from $7.9 million, while commercial work declined to $1.1 million from $1.6 million, and industrial projects fell to $21,000 from $843,000.
There were no permits for public projects last month, whereas in February 2013 a permit for the Red Deer Public School District’s new kindergarten-to-Grade 5 school in Timberlands helped boost values in the public category to $1.5 million.
Despite the reduced permit numbers last month, Red Deer’s Inspections and Licensing Department is still well ahead of the pace it was setting a year ago at the same time.
As of Feb. 28, the city had approved $24.5 million in construction for 2014 — a 20 per cent increase over the two-month tally to start 2013.
Residential permits have contributed $19.6 million to this year’s total, up from $13.9 million; and industrial permits have accounted for $3.6 million, up from $1.5 million.
The value of work approved in the commercial category this year has slipped to $1.3 million from $2.6 million, and public permit values have dropped to $22,000 from $2.5 million.