The City of Prince George issued 61 building permits worth a combined $46.65 million in the first quarter of 2023, according to data presented to city council on Monday.
While less than the 98 permits worth a combined $59.14 million issued between January and March last year, the value of permits issued was still 50 per cent higher than over the first quarter of 2021.
“…(There) is a bit of dip in the numbers, in terms of permit numbers and values,” city director of planning and development Deanna Wasnik said. “However, it is the first quarter. Oftentimes it is a bit of slower quarter because it is our winter months, so we’re looking forward to quarter two to see where this measures up to our comparator years of 2022 and 2021.”
The city saw a slowdown in residential construction, compared to 2022 and 2021.
Permits were issued for three multi-family developments worth a combined $7.17 million, nine single-family homes worth a combined $4.31 million, no mobile homes and nine duplexes worth a combined $2.56 million. The total value of residential building permits issued in the first three months of 2023 was roughly $14 million.
By comparison, in the first quarter of 2022 the city issued permits for eight multi-family developments, 20 single-family homes, six mobile homes and five duplexes, worth a combined $20 million.
No building permits for new commercial buildings were issued by the end of March, but seven building permits for new industrial buildings, worth an estimated $28.9 million were issued by the city.
“It’s really important to highlight this, because we are seeing some challenges in the forest sector right now,” Coun. Garth Frizzell said. “It’s heartening to see the investment that’s happening this quarter in the industrial sector.”
