Northwest Community College’s trades building renovation project and the extensive modernization of the city’s aquatic centre, both of which are ongoing this year, helped make 2017 Terrace’s second busiest construction year in the past decade.
Topped only by 2015’s total of $51.9 million thanks to the start of the Northwest Regional Airport expansion and several multi-family residential projects, 2017’s building permit values came in at $46.6 million.
By comparison, the 2016 building permit value came in at $10.52 million and 2014 was also a busy year with permit values at $42.2 million.
The 2017 total was bolstered by the start of the Ksan House Society’s three-storey, 45-unit affordable housing complex on the 4600 Block of Haugland on the Southside.
It falls under the multi residential category with the total in that category for the year coming in at $6.395 million. The Ksan project has a budget of $12 million, meaning that permits needed this year as the construction continues will be reflected in 2018 permit values.
In 2014 and 2015, other multi residential projects such as the SwissReal townhouse development on the corner of Cory and McConnell on the Bench, the six-unit townhouse on Kenney near Skeena Middle School and the Sleeping Beauty Estates project on Park Ave. helped increase permit values in that category.
The start of construction of an office building for the B.C. Government and Services Employees’ Union on the corner of Kalum and Lazelle downtown and the Kermode Friendship Centre’s daycare and office building on Park, adjacent to Sleeping Beauty Estates, also contributed to the 2017 permit value total.
If 2017 was marked by large projects, there was an increase in single family residential construction at $5.1 million for 17 permits compared to $3.1 million and 12 permits in 2016.
There was also an increase inresidential additions with 11 permits worth $219,000 being issued in 2017 compared to four permits at $54,000 in 2016.
“Keep in mind that residential renovation construction values were higher in 2017 than for 2016,” noted city official Danielle Myles of $1.4 milllion recorded in that category compared to $1 million in 2016.
While residential construction activity was up in 2017 compared to the year before, the figure was less than 2015’s $6.28 million and 2014’s $6.9 million with both those years marked by an economic upswing thanks to the intense speculation at the time surrounding the potential for a liquefied natural gas plant construction in the region.