Home construction at a snail’s pace
City seeing fewer permits issued
The lack of active subdivisions in the City of Porterville shows up in the first six months of building activity in the city.
So far in 2017, only 20 building permits for new homes were issued, nine less than the same time period last year and 12 fewer than the first half of 2015.
Porterville has not seen a new subdivision housing project open in several years. Smee Builders is working on one at Matthew Street and the Tule River, but so far only infrastructure work has been done. Gary Smee said he hopes to begin building homes in the next few weeks.
“We’re trying to work with him on the final map,” said City Manager John Lollis. He said Smee has almost 200 lots in the phased development.
He said Bank of the Sierra also has a potential subdivision and there is a small subdivision off of Westwood Street north of Henderson.
“We continue to have a developer interested in a large plot of land east near Prospect Street and the Tule River,” added Lollis. He said that project could be as many as 300 lots.
While home building has been slow, total valuation for the year for all construction is up slightly over the first half of last year and officials expect construction to accelerate during the second half of the year.
Lollis has said he expects work to begin this year on the Super Walmart in the Riverwalk Shopping Center and city planners are looking over the plans for the Greenpower Motor Company assembly plant which is also expected to begin construction this year at the Porterville Airport.
In July, which is not reflected in the first-half report, the city issued a permit for the new Smart and Final grocery store under construction on West Olive Avenue. That work began in July.
But, from Jan. 1 until the end of June, five permits were issued for new commercial projects, none very large.
The city is also anticipating several other projects in the coming months, although it may be after the first of the year before they issue permits. One is a project at Henderson and Prospect where a developer is working on demolishing the old Ginger’s Corner strip mall and construct a new retail and restaurants
development along Prospect Street. Lollis said the developer has signed agreement from some brand-name retail stores and restaurants.
Also anticipated is construction of the ALDI’S grocery store in front of Home Depot at Jaye Street and Highway 190. Store officials told The Recorder they hope to open that 22,000 square foot store by the middle of next year.
City Economic Development and Housing manager Jason Ridenour said interest remains high in both the Riverwalk and Jaye Street Crossing shopping centers on Jaye Street. He said developers are purchasing the land which had been held by banks at Riverwalk and he expects developments there once Walmart begins construction.