The number of building permits issued by the city in April plummeted compared to the past two years.
Last month the city issued 22 permits with an estimated value of $2.77 million. Building permits for five new single-family houses, worth an estimated $1.7 million, made up the majority of the permit value. In 2019 and 2018, the city issued permits for 24 and 25 new single-family homes, respectively.
"This is a bit of a downturn," Coun. Garth Frizzell said. "It's very likely temporary, and it's very likely to be back up."
In April 2019 the city issued 59 permits, worth approximately $17.6 million. In April 2018, the city issued 49 permits worth a combined $14.9 million.
In the first quarter of the year, the number of permits issued – and combined value of permits issued – was on track compared to previous years, although March saw a 20 per cent drop in permit value compared to the previous two years.
April's numbers changed that, with the city having issued 119 permits in the first four months of the year, with a combined value of $34.1 million.
From Jan. 1 to April 30, 2019 the city had issued 160 permits worth $44.8 million. During the same period in 2018 the city had issued 137 permits worth almost $39.8 million.
