Commercial Projects Lead Suburban Building Permit Activity

Spurred by commercial projects, building permit activity is on the upswing this spring, according to village officials in Mount Pleasant, Caledonia and Sturtevant.

The village of Mount Pleasant has issued 180 building permits through mid-May compared with about 150 permits during the same period last year.

The activity is driven by commercial projects, said Mark Schmidt, the village’s building and electrical inspector. Mount Pleasant has issued building permits for just 10 new single-family homes so far this year, down from 17 permits in January-May 2010. The village issued 37 single-family permits in all of 2010.

Meanwhile, commercial building activity is very brisk in Mount Pleasant this year.

Among the largest projects under way is the build out of a new structure at 12501 Globe Road to house the North American manufacturing operations of Seda International Packaging Group.

Announced last November, Seda, a producer of food packaging products, plans to invest $70 million and create 189 jobs.

At the site of the former Mount Pleasant Village Hall, Highways 11 and 31, construction crews are building a new retail complex anchored by a Pick ‘n Save store. That project is valued at $9 million to $15 million.

Caledonia

Building permit activity surged in the Village of Caledonia during April when 100 building permits were issued. In the months before that, cold, wet weather delayed many outdoor projects.

Through April, the village’s building department issued 177 building permits. Just two new single-family home permits were issued compared with nine in the first quarter of 2010.

Much of the activity involved inside projects, such as furnace replacements and remodeling but roofing, fences and decks started to pick up in April.

At this point in the year, 2011 is expected to be similar to 2010 when Caledonia issued 650 building permits at $15.95 million in value. Last year’s construction activity included 31 new single-family residences.

Kirk Buchaklian, the village’s building inspector, believes the tide may turn this year because of some commercial projects in the works including a planned addition to Parkview Gardens, a senior assisted facility at 5321 Douglas Ave.

That project, which was recently awarded $309,592 in affordable housing tax credits by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), will add 23 living units to the current 24-unit facility.

“It’s finally starting to break loose, which is good for us,” said Buchaklian.

Sturtevant

The Village of Sturtevant issued 40 building permits through mid-May, down from 84 permits during the same period last year.

No single-family home permits have been issued so far this year. In 2010, building permits were issued for 10 new single-family homes.

New home construction is a shadow of what it was in 2004 when the village had about 110 housing starts.

Commercial projects account for much of the current activity, said Mary Cole, village clerk/deputy treasurer. Projects include the remodeling of the former Boucher Saturn car dealership into a dental clinic