New home construction took off in Sylvan Lake last month when permits were issued for 21 single family residences, bringing the five month total to 48 starts. Last year 32 homes had been started to the end of May.
Eleven of May’s starts are in Ryders Ridge subdivision, eight are in Beacon Hill and one each in the cabin area on 44th Street and in Lakeway Landing on Leonard Close.
Construction values for the homes ranged from $149,550 to $307,125 with ten under $200,000, seven between $200,000 and $250,000, three between $250,000 and $300,000 and one over $300,000.
Three permits were issued for commercial construction — all in the downtown area. The addition and expansion of the Big Moo building at the corner of Lakeshore Drive and 46th Street was pegged at $233,820 while permits were issued for Hockey Central’s new location on Lakeshore Drive ($50,000) and Benjamin’s new 50th Street location ($5,000).
Two permits were approved for construction in the industrial area, one to Country Homes Ltd. for warehousing with a second floor development in a building on Cuendet Industrial Way ($100,000) and the other for interior renovations by Canadian Engineered Wood Products to the former town public works building at 1 Erickson Drive ($30,000).
Permits were also issued for six detached garages, four basement developments, two hot tubs, rebuilding an existing attached garage, a secondary suite, a sun room, and a deck.
The total value of permits issued in May was $4,984,290.90, up almost 53 per cent over the same month in 2012. However the five month year-to-date figures show the town’s permit values down just over $10 million in 2013. A big part of the reason for that was the $7.2 million permit last year for the new town hall.
There were also starts on 68 multi-family units last year compared to just 16 this year.