Windsor building permits record strong June
Building permit values in Windsor took a major jump in June.
The city issued more than $66 million worth of permits for construction work during the month. That represented an increase of more than 135 percent over May’s total of $28 million, and about the same rise over the permit volumes recorded in June of 2019.
The city issued more than 300 permits for work in June. Of that total, 269 were for work in the residential sector. Activity there reached more than $57 million for the month. The city also issued 28 permits for work in the commercial sector—valued at nearly $3 million, 14 in the institutional sector—for a total of nearly $5 million, and six in the industrial sector for slightly more than $1 million.
Of note in June were five permits issues for more than $1 million each. The largest among them—now the largest issued by the city for the year to date—was for more than $30 million for construction of a 145-unit residential building on Meadowbrook Lane. Commissioned by Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation, the building will be built to the Passive House standard, and will feature 76 affordable rental units, including 12 for people fleeing domestic violence.
A second permit, worth nearly $8.3 million, was issued for construction of a seven-storey, 60-unit residential property on Banwell Avenue. Site servicing for the third of a three-tower complex being built by Eastside Horizons started in mid-May. Occupancy for the building is scheduled for April.
Other notable permits include one for $1.8 million for renovations to the David Maxwell Public School on Francois Road, and two for $1.1 million each for work on the University of Windsor CAW Student Centre, and for alterations to an existing office/industrial building on Walker Road to accommodate e-commerce start-up Shopivo.
Construction activity in Windsor for the year to date in 2020 remains well ahead of volumes recorded for the first six months of the year in 2019. This is despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the year to date, the city has issued more than $211.5 million worth of permits, including nearly $145 million in residential construction permits. Over the same period last year, the city had issued $175.2 million in permits, and just $85 million in residential works.
While demand in the city for residential construction is up over 2019’s total, the value of permits issued for work in the non-residential sector is down. All three sub-components recorded drops over the first six months of last year.
The value of commercial permits was down nearly $19 million (or more than 56 percent), while the value of industrial permits dropped by slightly more than $3 million, and the value of institutional permits dropped by about $1 million.