$10.2 million conversion of former Canadian Tire Store (file photo: Vernon Matters)

By Kevin Rothwell

Big increases in volume and dollars

Vernon building boom hammers on in 2021

May 12, 2021 | 5:00 AM

The building boom that started in 2020 in Vernon hasn’t skipped a beat in 2021 with activity running well above the five year average for a first quarter

Building permits total value for the first three months of 2021 was $39.5 million, which is a 47.9 per cent increase over the the first quarter of 2020.

The increase is primarily attributable to the ($10.2 million) commercial alteration of the former Canadian Tire store on 27th Street into a self-storage business and an increase in the new residential construction.

Single family dwellings accounted for $13.2 million in 2021 compared to $9.1 million in 2020.

Multi-family dwellings accounted for $7.3 million in 2021 compared to $3.1 million in 2020.

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A total of 102 building permits were issued from January through March of 2021, which is a 27.5 per cent increase over the 80 building permits issued in the first quarter of 2020.

First Quarter building report (photo credit: City of Vernon)

The numbers aren’t only up from last year for the quarter, but 31 per cent above the five year average.

There was also a 132 per cent increase in property information requests, driven by a red hot real estate market.