The City of Prince George issued 467 building permits for projects worth a combined $247.6 million in 2021, according to a report going before city council later this month.
The estimated value of the completed buildings is up 6.3 per cent over those issued in 2019, which was the city’s previous best year for new building permits. In 2020 the city issued 532 permits worth $219 million, 611 permits worth $223.5 million in 2019 and 515 permits worth $186.7 million in 2018.
Between 2017 and 2021, the city issued a total of $985 million in building permits.
“Council is thrilled that the building boom in Prince George has not only continued, but in many respects accelerated in spite of all the challenges we have faced through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayor Lyn Hall said in a statement issued on Thursday. “Council is also extremely pleased that investors, businesses, and developers are continuing to recognize the amazing potential of our city. Private sector investment shows confidence in our economy and that continues to drive development in our community.”
A surge in multi-family developments – primarily apartment buildings and condominium complexes – has led the boom. In 2021, the city issued permits for new multi-family developments worth a combined $115 million, up more than 60 per cent over the previous record of $70 million set in 2020.
Of the 467 building permits issued by the city in 2021, 461 were for private-sector businesses.
According to data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, there were a total of 484 residential housing starts in Prince George in 2021.
The ten largest developments permitted by the city in 2021 were:
- 1755 Foothills Blvd., 67-unit apartment building: $20.64 million
- 2604 Recplace Dr., 90-unit apartment building: $18 million
- 7180 Boundary Crt., 70,363 sq. foot warehouse, $12.17 million
- 855 First Ave., BC Housing project, $12 million
- Pine Centre Mall, Save-on-Foods store construction, $10.5 million
- 2918 Hopkins Rd., 55-unit multi-family building, $9.79 million
- 2604 Recplace Dr., 47-unit apartment building, $9.65 million
- 7411 Riggs Cres., Great West Equipment building, $9 million
- 1965 17th Ave., 35-unit townhouse complex, $8.01 million
- 605 Quebec St., 9,092 sq. foot multi-family building, $6.5 million
REGIONAL DISTRICT SEES BOOST IN HOME CONSTRUCTION
In 2021, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George issued a total of 268 building permits worth a combined $35.2 million, according to a report which went to the district board in January.
While the value was a significant drop from the district’s record year in 2020, when 301 permits worth a combined $75.4 million were issued, it was still higher than the 328 permits worth $28.7 million issued in 2019.
The district issued 64 permits for single-family homes in 2021, up from 41 and 38 the previous two years.
“Our single-family dwelling statistics are 50 per cent higher than last year, which is pretty phenomenal,” district chairperson Art Kaehn said of the report.
