Vancouver — Vancouver is seeing modest increases in local construction activity, with single-family housing holding steady and a boom underway in multi-family construction, according to a new city report. The online report, released this week, examines land use and building permitting activity between January 2012 and July 2013.
It found that single-family residential permits have remained steady, ranging from 50 to 90 permits per quarter. However,Vancouver is seeing a surge in apartment development projects, with over 700 units now under construction, another 500 units in the land use or building permit review process and 740 more units engaged in the city’s pre-application process.
“What we’re seeing is a slow return to the typical seasonal fluctuations in land use activity that we saw before the construction boom in the early 2000s and the subsequent recession,” said Chad Eiken, community and economic development director, in a news release. “This is a positive trend that indicates steady and more sustainable growth.”
The report also noted a spike in commercial building permits in this year’s first quarter, which it attributed almost entirely to infrastructure projects and tenant improvements at the Port of Vancouver. The report also notes than many building owners are investing in improvements to existing buildings rather than constructing new ones
To review the report, including a map showing ten “projects worth noting,” visit www.cityofvancouver.us/quarterlyreport.
