It’s not the heady years of mid-2000s when condo units on the ski hill were going up at a frantic pace, but it’s also not the grim years post-2008 when the global recession slowed construction to almost a standstill.
The City of Kimberley is experiencing a good year for construction, the best in five years.
The number of new dwelling units increased significantly with 22 new units started as of October 31, where only 12 – 14 units were started by the same date over the previous five years.
Building permit construction values totalled $8,992,500 to the end of October, compared to a low of $4,943,480 up to $7,448,644 over the same period in previous years.
Council has been aware that a good year was going on since the summer, when it was noted that Kimberley was leading the way for the entire East Kootenay.
“We’re not at the top of the list now, Cranbrook is,” McCormick said, noting that the city is also almost three times the size. “But relatively speaking, we are having an amazingly strong year.”
“We’re happy to see the increased activity this year,” says McCormick. “It is a positive indicator of confidence in Kimberley and the great environment for construction and investment in our community.”
“It has been a very busy year for construction,” said CAO Scott Sommerville, “We were anticipating a slightly busier construction season based on the level of inquiries last winter, but this is well ahead of our expectations.”