Building permits top $100 million

The City of North Bay Building Department released the 2006 building permit statistics, which revealed a record-breaking $101, 264,797 in construction last year.

Included in that figure is $30 million for the building portion of the water treatment plant, currently under construction. If that building were excluded, as it is a one-time anomaly, the $71,264,797 total still surpasses the previous record set in 2004 by over $180,000.

The construction year included 86 single family homes, a robust industrial/commercial mix, and a large institutional component. The single family dwellings represent the third-highest number constructed in a single year, and while they are expected to slow somewhat in 2007, should continue to remain strong compared to North American trends. The industrial/commercial sector saw construction in the Gateway Industrial Park for the first time in over a decade, many expansions of existing businesses and industries throughout the city, and a new 100-unit Holiday Inn Express currently under construction adjacent to the Information Centre. The new French Public Elementary school and the renovations at Ecole Secondaire Algonquin led the institutional component.

All City departments were involved in making North Bay ‘Open for Business’. The creation of the DART group (Development Application Review Team) was a significant improvement in how applications are handled. The group, comprised of all applicable City departments, assembles to meet with applicants at one time, streamlining the approval process and resolving issues before they get out of hand.

The Building Department ultimately issued a total of 750 building permits, while continuing to implement the changes mandated by the Province under Bill 124.