2017 banner year for building permits

The Portage Citizen

The cumulative value of development permits skyrocketed in 2017, according to year-end statistics from the Portage la Prairie Planning District made public Feb. 26.

City council heard at its regular meeting Monday night, the 2017 total jumped to over $50 million dollars from the 2016 permit value of $33.4 million dollars.

Coun. Liz Driedger, city planning and economic development chair, revealed the 2017 figures in her committee report to council.

“The bottom line that we are quite excited about is that there were 370 permits purchased last year for a total of $50,098,859. And that compares with the previous year (2016) of 313 permits for $33,447,725.

Driedger referred back to the budget speech delivered earlier in the meeting and the announcement of Roquette constructing a nearly $500 million-dollar plant in the RM and that site preparations are under way.

“We heard in the budget speech…there’s been some significant announcements made in Portage la Prairie made last year and certainly some of those industries have already begun preparations to their sites which would mean they would have to have purchased a permit,” Driedger said. “I think it’s also important to remember the spinoff off those announcements to Portage across the board creates optimism, creates other industries and possible expansion.”

Driedger also revealed the January 2018 permit numbers also show an increase over 2017. “We anticipate having another really good year.”