Fort Smith metro building permit values up 12% in January

The Fort Smith metro began 2022 on good footing as the new year began and kept that momentum through the first month of the year. The metro’s three largest cities had $30.554 million in building permits in January, up 12% over the $27.249 million in January 2021.

The January permit values were a 12.9% decrease from the $35.09 million reported in December.

Fort Smith issued 155 permits in January with a value of $28.509 million. Though that was down 4.7% from the $29.92 million value of 157 permits issued in December, it was up 10.76% from the $25.74 million value of 134 permits issued in January 2021.

There were 25 permits issued for new residential construction in the month with a combined value of $4.86 million, up 54.04% from the $3.155 million combined value of 18 residential new construction permits issued in December and 81% compared with the $2.68 million value of the 11 residential new construction permits issued in January of 2021.

The commercial side of construction was off to a good start as well. Though the $10.561 million value of seven new commercial construction projects started in January was down 32% from the $15.75 value of the seven new commercial construction projects begun in December, it was nine times more than the $1.15 million value of two new commercial construction permits issued in January 2021.

January new commercial construction projects included a $5.773 million project by Mars Pet Care at 1000 Roberts Blvd., which combines with the $8.237 million project started in December. In January 2021, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and officials with Mars Petcare were in Fort Smith announced a $145 million expansion of the company’s plant at Chaffee Crossing that will create more than 120 jobs.

Commercial projects also included a $1.344 million permit for Harry G. Barr at 6500 Zero Street. In July, Fort Smith-based Harry G. Barr & Co. announced a $10 million expansion of its office and manufacturing space that should result in 100 more jobs for the window and door manufacturer.

There was also a $1.218 million permit issued to Michael Prewitt for a veterinarian clinic at 4501 Massard Road.

VAN BUREN, GREENWOOD PROJECTS
Van Buren, the region’s second largest city, issued 64 permits in January with a value of $1.86 million 60.4% decrease from the $4.696 million value of 63 permits issued in December but a significant increase from the $370,000 value of 33 permits issued in January 2021.

The monthly activity included nine residential permits with a value of $1.655 million and no commercial permits. By comparison, in January 2021, Van Buren issued residential permits valued at $310,000 and commercial permits valued at $40,000. In December, the city issued six residential permits with a combined value of $650,000 and five commercial permits valued at $3.9 million.

Greenwood was the only large city in the region with permitted activity down from this time last year. The city  issued 12 permits in January with a value of $185,043, down 61.3% from the $477,841 value of eight permits issued in December and 83.8% from the $1.139 million value of 22 permits issued in January 2021.

The region ended 2021 with $343.289 million in permitted building activity, a 29% increase over the $265.975 million in 2020. The Fort Smith metro has seen continuous growth over the  past several years, but no recent year has performed as well in building activity as 2021 with all three of the larger cities in the region seeing an increase in building numbers from 2020.

REGIONAL BUILDING ACTIVITY RECAP
Combined total for the three cities
2021: $343.289 million
2020: $265.975 million
2019: $241.741 million
2018: $231.78 million
2017: $210.844 million
2016: $211.345 million
2015: $218.899 million
2014: $198.983 million
2013: $202.389 million
2012: $154.64 million
2011: $201.079 million