Moosomin Building Permits: Record year for new construction

January 7, 2014, 1:56 am
Julia Dima

It was a record year for construction permits in Moosomin, with a staggering total of $19,942,700.

Last year, the total was significantly lower at $11,341,196, but 2011 was higher than average at $17.5 million, largely due to the fact that 2011 saw the permits for the first phase of Pipestone Villas, and the new Motel 6.

Of the nearly $20 million issued in building permits for 2013, $2,923,200
were in the form of residential permits, $16,805,000 were commercial permits, and the only institutional permit was for $214,500, from the Department of Highways for a cover-all building near the edge of town.

As with 2011, the record high is in part due to a few big ticket items. One of them is the new Celebration Ford building being built on Highway 1, with a permit value of $5.1 million. The second is a new 89-room, three-story hotel that will be built between the existing Canalta and Motel 6, with a permit value of $9 million. The two permits alone account for 70 per cent of total permits for the year.

Mayor Larry Tomlinson says that it's clear Moosomin keeps growing.
"I think the biggest challenge as the town grows is infrastructure, is keeping ahead of it," says Tomlinson, "we did expand the lagoon, and we have a new well, so we're doing well with water, but just managing growth."
Tomlinson says that like this year, next year will show high numbers in building permits mostly due to large projects.

"Bridge Road is building another 24-unit (Pipestone Villas) in 2014, so that is going to be a major construction project next year and that will be a big boost in the market," he says.

Of the 32 residential permits, 10 were for new homes, totalling $2,078,000, compared to 12 in 2012. The highest valued was a $300,000 home being near the Hospital. As Moosomin expands, residential growth has picked up in the edge of town, with five new homes being built in newly developed areas, including two homes on Hussein Drive, and two at Dorchester Place.

Other residential permits included seven garages with a total permit value of $107,000, five new decks totalling $18,600, nine additions to existing homes with a total permit value of $625,000, a $5,000 storage unit, and an $89,600 trailer.

There were only nine commercial permits compared to 33 residential permits, by totalled much higher at $16 million.
Along with the new hotel and Celebration Ford permits, there was an $85,000 storage building permit, a $300,000 permit for grain bins, $375,000 for a new building at Davidson's Truck and Tractor, and two new storage units totalling $145,000 in permit value.

As well, HD Development built new four-plexes and duplexes on Windover Avenue. The duplexes are valued at $700,000 and the four-plexes at $1.1 million.

The duplexes are level-entry high-end duplexes, and are 50 per cent leased out already. Full construction on the buildings is expected to be completed at the beginning of March.

Harlin Munro, who, along with Daryn Woods, owns HD Developments says that Moosomin is a good place to build.

"We like Moosomin because of its location, and that there is industry growth in the area," Munro says. He says while they are not sure what will happen next year, HD Development is likely going to keep building in Moosomin.

"We're probably going to put in another four-plex and pick up a few other rental properties, but we're not sure yet."

Munro says generally, rental units are always leased out before construction is completed, and that's a sign that Moosomin is still a good town to build in.

"I'm always optimistic about the growth of Moosomin, with the potash and oil industry, and its location on Highway 1, it's a prime location," he says.

Mayor Tomlinson says that he sees Moosomin continuing to see high permit numbers in the future as well.

"I think as far as private housing goes, we're going to see that keep growing."