Construction Busy in Sarnia-Lambton.

From Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer.


The value of building permits Sarnia issued in the first half of this year is lower than in 2017 but some large projects on the horizon may boost those numbers by the end of 2018.

As of June, permits for a total of $34.6 million in construction had been issued by the city, down from $51.1 million at the same point in 2017.

“Last year was the best year we’ve seen for a number of years,” said Alan Shaw, director of building and planning.

There was a total of $107.7-million in construction in the city in 2017.

Building activity in the city was also above average in 2016, Shaw added.

“We’re in a bit of an upward trend.”

While the numbers for the first half of 2018 are down from 2017, the city’s building permit income is still in-line with its 10-year average and on track to meet its budget this year, Shaw said.

“We are expecting some larger projects either towards the end of this year or early next year,” he added.

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Zach Neal photo.


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Room to Grow: Sarnia East.

From Tyler Kula, Sarnia Observer.

The beginnings of planning for the next phase of residential development in Sarnia are underway.

City council recently approved $89,000 for a year-long study into what it’ll cost to build in sewers, water pipes and roads in an approximately five-square-kilometre (500-hectare) parcel officially called Development Area 2.

The land, generally bounded by London Line, Confederation Line, Modeland Road and Blackwell Side Road – and home to the Western University Research Park, Heritage Park subdivision, and the Blackwell Glen subdivision – has run out of services for new home builds, said David Jackson, manager of development and transportation with the City of Sarnia.

“There can’t really be any more development there until we do this study and until we decide how we’re going to service it,” he said.

Stantec Consulting is working on the details of cost, he said, but also planning how to phase the work in, to satisfy demand but not overstretch taxpayer pocketbooks.

“Certainly at the rate the city grows, area two should be able to accommodate growth for the next 20 years,” Jackson said.

The surveying work is welcome news to Doug Bain, president of the Sarnia Lambton Home Builders Association.

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Image. Google Maps.

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Sarnia-Lambton Contractors Hopeful for 2017 Season, Confidence Up.

Photo by Zach Neal.

From Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer.

A recent survey found contractors in the Sarnia and Windsor region generally feel hopeful about the coming construction season, but they're concerned U.S. President Donald Trump could have a negative impact on Ontario's economy.

The Ontario Construction Secretariat has released its annual Construction Confidence Survey, based on 500 interviews with contractors across the province.

This year, it ranked contractors’ perceptions of business conditions for the next 12 months at 60 out of 100, compared to 57 in 2016.

“That's a nice little jump, from one year to the next,” said Sean Strickland, CEO of the secretariat, a joint labour and management organization formed in 1993.

“I think that's reflective of contractors' improved confidence in 2017” and general optimism about Ontario's economy, he said.

A ranking above 50 indicates that the number of contractors who expect to do more business this year is greater than those who expect to do less.

Link to the rest here.

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