By Clark Stork

Construction numbers steady in Melfort

Jan 16, 2018 | 4:25 PM

The city of Melfort is boasting about their building permit dollars in 2017.

The city reported new construction accumulated over $15 million through 107 permits. In 2016 the city issued 80 permits. Economic director Brent Lutz said the city bucked the trend of a downturn in the provincial economy. He said adding a provincial sales tax to construction labour and other factors didn’t show much effect.

“Despite that and the downturn in natural resources the construction still stayed strong here in the community,” Lutz said.

The newly opened Wellness Centre attached to the hospital and a new 24-suite apartment complex were the two largest builds last year. The total values were split almost in half. Residential permits totalled $7.2 million while commercial equalled just over $6 million. Melfort includes an “industrial” category as well that made up the remaining $1.8 million. Lutz said the numbers have stayed true for the last decade.

“We’ve seen strong, steady numbers now for the last 10 years, it’s encouraging and we hope that’s the new normal,” he said.

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Over the last 10 years the numbers vary from $8 million in 2015 up to over $23 million in 2008. Lutz said the city doesn’t lean on oil and gas or larger resources like potash to drive the economy. He said that has helped Melfort out perform larger cities like Estevan and Yorkton.

“We see we are out performing them with construction by considerable amounts. We’re encouraged. It means relative to everyone else we’re getting bigger,” he said.

Lutz expects a strong 2018 as well. A new downtown office building, the first in “several” years is already under construction, plus a 28-suite apartment facility will break ground in the spring.

Clark.stork@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ClarkStork