Expansion of the Central Alberta Cancer Centre at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre added $16.5 million to August’s building permit tally.
A permit related to the $46-million project accounted for the bulk of the $26.9 million in local construction approved last month. Residential, commercial and industrial work and renovations accounted for $6.5 million, $2.2 million and $1.6 million, respectively.
The city approved $9 million worth of work in August 2010. Of that, $7.1 million came under the residential category, $1.6 million was for commercial projects, $228,000 was for industrial-related permits and just $7,000 related to public construction.
“August was a very strong month,” said Inspections and Licensing Department manager Joyce Boon. “We are very encouraged that our year-to-date permit values are over $115 million and that commercial permit values have been very strong throughout 2011.”
The $115.2 million worth of permits issued from January to August marks a big increase over the $78.6 million approved to the same point in 2010. The value of commercial work has jumped to $40.6 million from $10.7 million, permits for public work to $16.8 million from $8.2 million and residential approvals to $51.3 million from $50.5 million. The value of industrial permits is down to $6.5 million from $9.2 million.
Another big projects approved last month was the CIBC branch at Clearview Market Square in northeast Red Deer. It was valued at $1.1 million.