Construction totals strong in Lethbridge

Residential and institution projects continued to fuel Lethbridge’s economy in 2017, as the city topped other mid-sized Alberta communities once again.

The value of building permits issued here last year passed $313 million, compared with $152.8 million in Red Deer and $147.4 million in Grande Prairie.

While construction in Medicine Hat declined to $113.8, contractors in fire-ravaged Fort McMurray were stretched to rebuild homes, apartments and condominiums lost in the 2016 conflagration.

Single-family home construction remained a key industry in Lethbridge last year, with 408 permits valued at $57.6 million issued. While that was down from 419 singles last year, the estimated value was up by a million.

The 25 multi-family projects launched last year — down from 40 a year earlier — added $19.2 million to the construction tally. So did hundreds of residential additions or alterations large and small, totalling $13.6 million through the year.

Provincial government funding remained the major component of the year’s institutional projects in 2017, including ongoing upgrades at Chinook Regional Hospital and construction of new facilities at Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge. City-initiated projects like the westside leisure centre also contributed to the $129.3 million worth of new construction plus $38.9 million in renovations.

The value of industrial projects begun during the year advanced modestly to $7.8 million, while the year’s list of new commercial projects shrank to $5 million — compared to a surprising $102.3 million in 2016. Commercial building additions and alterations were up nearly $3 million, however, to a year-end total of $29.9 million.

In Medicine Hat, commercial building projects were on the rise last year, up about $10 million to $18.3 million, plus alterations worth $27.8 million. The number of homes built also advanced to 52, worth about $15.6 million. But institutional projects slipped from $42.1 million to $6.4 million.

On their posted reports, city officials in Red Deer combine all their residential construction, new or alterations, without specifying the type of home. For 2017, they report permits were issued for projects worth $50.4 million.

But nowhere was busier than Fort McMurray, where 1,581 single- and multi-family homes were started by the end of November, the CMHC reports. That compares with just 83 in 2016.

While Lethbridge’s overall 12month total was down about $14 million from the record-setting $337.9 in 2016, that number will doubtless be shattered as permits are issued for the $360-million potato processing plant being built here by Cavendish Farms. It’s expected to open for production in 2019.

Earlier in the decade, Lethbridge reported a $249.7-million total in 2015, $200 million in 2012 and just $159 million in 2011.