Jonesboro building permit values down almost 4% in 2015

The value of building permits issued by Jonesboro in 2015 totaled $140.461 million, down 3.9% compared to 2014 values. Almost 700 building permits were issued by the city.

For 2015, the majority of the requests happened between April and September, with 384 of the 671 requests being made. The quietest month of the year was in February, with only 21 permits issued. However, the busiest month was in June 2015 when developers made 78 requests for work.

The city’s figures also show that 291 of the 671 (43%) last year were for new residential buildings or homes. Another 30 were for commercial buildings while 27 permits were made for multifamily complexes or duplexes.

In 2015, there were 22 permits requested for over $1 million in cost. Some of the major projects in Jonesboro in 2015 were:
• 2407 Quality Way (Unilever) – $8.9 million commercial addition;
• 225 East Jackson Ave. (St. Bernards Healthcare) – $6.7 million commercial addition;
• 1004 Windover Road (Forest Home Church of the Nazarene) – $4.475 million commercial building (church);
• 630 Southwest Drive (Bank of America) – $3.735 million commercial building;
• 2180 Quality Way (Frito Lay) – $3.6 million commercial building; and
• 2020 Hytrol Drive (Hytrol Conveyor Co.) – $3.5 million commercial addition.

Following is a breakdown of the monthly permit values in 2015, compared to 2014 numbers:
January 2015: $8.598 million, up from $6.738 million.
February 2015: $2.734 million, down from $2.801 million.
March 2015: $7.918 million, up from $7.473 million.
April 2015: $12.687 million, up from $9.481 million.
May 2015: $13.970 million, up from $13.091 million.
June 2015: $11.420 million, down from $14.203 million.
July 2015: $24.275 million, up from $15.181 million.
August 2015: $12.839 million, down from $16.550 million.
September 2015: $8.557 million, down from $20.738 million.
October 2015: $19.329 million, up from $5.005 million
November 2015: $10.417 million, up from $4.117 million.
December 2015: $7.711 million, up from $5.568 million.

2015 CONSTRUCTION REVIEW
Construction has been busy along Red Wolf Boulevard, Arkansas 18 and U.S. 49 in recent years. Last April, officials with Frito Lay announced plans to expand their plant in Jonesboro. The $45.7 million, 80,000-square-foot expansion is expected to be completed by 2018 and will add about 30 jobs to the plant.

In June, a 62,000-square-foot, $12 million expansion was announced at Hytrol Conveyor Co. in Jonesboro. The company, which makes conveyors for Fed Ex and Macy’s among other companies, will add 75 jobs as part of the expansion.

Construction also began in the summer when crews started building a restaurant, On the Border. The restaurant on Red Wolf Boulevard opened Nov. 16.

Also, the Craighead County Assessor’s Office released a report in August, showing construction growth in Jonesboro and Craighead County. The report, based on activity in every school district in Craighead County, showed at least $57 million in new construction after deductions and $12.7 million in new home construction after deductions through August 2015.

The amount was more than double recorded in 2014. In 2014, the county only had $22.9 million in new construction and $14.3 million in new home construction, the report noted.

The new construction showed that $52 million of the $57 million was in the Jonesboro and Nettleton School Districts, with a large number of the new home construction (nearly $7 million) was in the Nettleton and Valley View districts.

Following are the total permit values during the previous five years.
2015 – $140.461 million
2014 – $146.162 million
2013 – $126.975 million
2012 – $135.847 million
2011 – $273.170 million

The boom appears to have started in 2011 when officials from NEA Baptist announced plans they would build a $400 million hospital on U.S. 49 in the Hilltop area of Jonesboro, officials have said.