Three dead, one injured in Surrey shootings page 8
Devils out in front in playoff chase page 17
Tuesday January 15, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Surrey records its third-best building year Permits for 2012 rose past $1.3 billion – largely from residential development
by Kevin Diakiw SURREY HAS recorded its third-best
building year on record, once again bursting through the billion-dollar mark for building permits. Recently released figures show Surrey issued $1.305 billion in building permits in 2012, eclipsing the previous year by $90 million. Surrey’s best year ever was in 2007, when it logged $1.488 billion in building permits, just ahead of the year prior when it issued $1.341 billion.
Most of Surrey’s success last year came by way of the residential sector, which at $745 million accounted for more than half of building values in 2012.
Then, the economic crash of 2009 saw building permit values plummet to $859 million. That was followed by a couple of years logging just over $1.21 billion in construction. Most of Surrey’s success last year came by way of the residential sector, which at $745 million accounted for more than half of building values in 2012. It’s an increase of almost $100 million from the previous year. Much of the residential growth was in Grandview Heights in South Surrey, south Newton, and Cloverdale. Commercial building in Surrey dropped by $72 million from the previous year, registering only $194 million in 2012. The bulk of that was due to expansion and renovations at the Guildford Town Centre, according to Surrey’s General Manager of Planning and Development Jean LaMontagne. Industrial developments fell by about $20 million (to $55.9 million), while institutional developments shot up by almost 50 per cent to $292 million. Much of that increase was due to the new remand centre being built near city hall and the Surrey Memorial Hospital expansion. The drop in commercial development isn’t great news for the city’s financial health. Commercial and industrial development bring in about three times the taxes as residential development, so they are seen as a healthier source of growth.
BOAZ JOSEPH/ THE LEADER
Dragons claim firefighters championship Holy Cross Crusader Nicole Van Helm (left) blocks the advance of Simran Bir of the Fleetwood Park Dragons in the championship game of the Surrey Fire Fighters’ Goodwill Classic at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary on Saturday. The Dragons won 70-66. See full story, page 16.
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