Residential rebound

By JENNIFER BURDEN, ORILLIA PACKET & TIMES December 18 2010
As the Orillia housing market rebounds from the recession, its industrial sector has taken a hit in 2010.
The industrial market is down 86% from 2009. Last year, the value of permits issued for industrial construction was around $1.3 million. In 2010, that number dropped to $180,000.
“What happens when you have a drop in an economy is it hits the residential first — and we saw that last year. It takes a while for the commercial to catch up,” Kelly Smith, the city’s chief building official, said Friday.
Residential building permits in 2010 skyrocketed in comparison. The total value of residential permits issued by the end of November 2010 was approximately $44.5 million compared to approximately $14.3 million in 2009 — a 211% increase. Eighty single-family dwellings have been completed, or are nearing completion this year. That figure is up from 64 in 2009.
“I didn’t expect my housing as high as it was this year,” Smith said
The big surprise was Mariposa Homes, which obtained permits for 34 houses this year, Smith said. Nine of the homes are finished, while the remaining 25 are almost done. In 2009, Mariposa Homes only built a dozen homes, she added.
Also in 2010, Titan Homes completed 16 townhomes and one single-family dwelling, Sophie’s Landing completed nine homes and Landen Homes began its Coldwater Grove development, with many of its 11 units now ready for occupancy.
The construction of the new Lakehead University Orillia campus, which opened in September 2010, is one of the main factors behind the residential boom, Smith said.
“The reason residential is better this year is because of the university. We have a higher demand for student housing,” she said. “Lakehead has expanded their student base… and they haven’t provided any housing yet. The housing for these students is coming from the community.”
With the 271-bed residence at the 500 University Ave. campus scheduled to be completed by fall 2011, Smith said the demand for housing in the community may drop slightly. But because the Lakehead population grows each year, Smith still expects student housing to do well in 2011.
Permits issued for institutional construction plummeted in 2010 because the Lakehead University construction permit was acquired in 2009, Smith said.
Orillia’s institutional market is down by about $26.5 million — almost 80% — from 2009. In 2009, the value of permits issued for industrial construction was around $33.2 million — mainly because of Lakehead University. In 2010, that number has dropped to roughly $6.7 million.
Overall, the 2010 building figures for Orillia are very similar to 2009. The total value of permits issued by the end of November 2010 was approximately $88.3 million compared to $86.8 million in 2009.
Large projects such as the YMCA addition, Couchiching Family Health building, Lakehead University and the new public library have made 2010 a good year overall, Smith said.
“All of these big projects were in the planning department and site-plan approval, so I knew they were all coming for this year,” she said, adding that available government funding also had a lot to do with the number of projects.
Looking ahead to 2011, Smith said she doesn’t anticipate such strong numbers. As of now, there isn’t much in the planning stage other than the partial permits that have been awarded to Lakehead University for its residence, the Common Roof project from New Path Foundation, and the St. Bernard Catholic School construction, she said.
“Next year, we’re going to be busy because a lot of things are still underway, but as far as the actual stats and money, we may not do as well next year.”
jburden@orilliapacket.com
– – -Large projects in 2010
February — YMCA addition, $3,200,000
February — Couchiching Family Health Building, $4,000,000
March — Winners and Dollarama, $2,822,575
March — Kitchener Park concession, $1,200,000
March — Couchiching Park concession, $1,500,000
April — Orchard Point Condominiums -44 units, $9,100,000
April — Orillia Public Library, $18,700,000 April — Moose Beach splash pad, $1,000,000
May — Couchiching Heights Public School addition, $1,100,000
June — Serenity Apartments, 85 Barrie Rd., 103 units, $7,655,000
June — Hariett Todd Public School renovation, $4,500,000
July — Lakehead University student residence, partial permit, $4,511,000
August — New Shoppers Drug Mart, shell only, $1,400,000
October — New Path-Common Roof, partial permit, $466,600
November — St. Bernard’s Catholic School, partial permit, $755,000