Building permits still on record pace
The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, September 05, 2008
Construction crews from Christie Mechanical install some of the 84,000 feet of geothermal pipe that will lay beneath the surface of one of the six arenas that are being built at Ipsco Place as part of the $56-million project.
Photograph by : Roy Antal, Leader-Post
Building permits in Regina totalled $226 million to the end of August, down from last year's record pace of $254 million for the first eight months of 2007.
But with construction of the first phase of the $180-million revitalization of IPSCO Inc. now underway, 2008 could displace 2007 as the record year for building permits in the city.
"I know we have (received) the application for the first stage, but we haven't issued the permit yet,'' said Garry Wasyliw, building branch manager for the City of Regina.
Wasyliw said permits for the revitalization project will be issued over the next number of months. "That project has yet to come (on the building permit report)."
Work is underway at IPSCO Place on the first phase of the three-phase project, which includes construction of a 278,000-square-foot multi-purpose facility that will house six ice surfaces.
The first phase, which is being funded by contributions of $20 million each from the municipal, provincial and federal governments, also includes upgrades to Brandt Centre, such as increased seating and upgraded washrooms and dressing rooms.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by late fall of 2009 in time for the 2010 world junior hockey championship, which Regina is jointly hosting with Saskatoon.
Wasyliw said construction activity is pretty much on par with last year's record-breaking pace, which was boosted by the $42-million building permit for the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory at 5 Research Dr. at the University of Regina campus.
Without that project -- the largest single building permit ever issued by the City of Regina -- the pace of construction in 2008 would actually surpass that of 2007, he added.
"Take out that one project and we're ahead of last year,'' Wasyliw said. "It's indicative of the same level of activity (as last year)."
Last year, the city issued $337.7 million worth of building permits, smashing the previous record of $277 million set in 2006, and the fifth consecutive record-setting year.
Wasyliw isn't ready to say whether 2008 will be another record year, but suggested that it will be close to a record. "I would expect it will come out about the same (as last year).''
The biggest permit issued this year was for the $24-million renovation of Regina General Hospital, while the second-largest was for the $14.5-million new food services building at the RCMP Training Academy.
The month of August saw $20.2 million worth of building permits issued compared with $26.9 million in August 2007.
Residential construction led the way last month, with $15.9 million in permits issued, plus $1.8 million in residential recreation, accessory buildings, alterations and additions.
Only $2.5 million in commercial, industrial, institutional and government permits were issued in August, compared with $13.7 million in August 2007.
For the year to date, residential construction permits totalled $100.9 million, plus $10.8 million in accessory buildings, alterations and additions.
Commercial, industrial, institutional and government building permits totalled $113.6 million, compared with $159.6 million in the first eight months of 2007.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008
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, although the RSO usually plays a Christmas Quartet there.)
PS. Great pictures on your blog!
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