Fort Smith metro building permits up more than 90% through March

Building activity in the Fort Smith metro rebounded in March and through the first quarter of 2025. Monthly building permit values were up more than 50% in the three regional cities compared to the same time last year.

Building permits in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $26.723 million in March, up 18.2% from March 2024. Year-to-date, the three cities reported $73.843 million in permitted building projects, up 93.5% from $47.529 million permitted in the first three months of 2024.

Fort Smith issued 235 permits in March with a value of $18.209 million, down 17.2% from the $21.988 million value of 290 permits issued in March 2024. In the first quarter of the year, the city has issued $61.759 million in building permits, up 43% from the $41.449 million value of permits issued in the first three months of 2024.

There were 11 Fort Smith permits issued for new residential construction of single-family homes in March with a total value of $2.535 million, slightly ahead of the $2.483 million value of 13 new single-family homes permitted in March 2024.

Building activity in Fort Smith got a boost from two new duplex construction projects with a value of $1.025 million. There were 48 permits issued for new duplex construction in all of 2024 with a value of $17.07 million.

There was one permit for new commercial construction during the month, the $3 million, 18,204 square-foot new home of In-Sync Pediatric Therapy Center at 6900 Chad Colley Blvd. in Chaffee Crossing. The center has two locations in the Fort Smith area – one at 1109 Fayetteville Road in Van Buren and a temporary location at 815 Fort St. in Barling. That location will move to the new building when it is complete.

There also was a $3 million remodel for Gerber Products Co. at 4301 Harriet Lane permitted in March.

VAN BUREN, GREENWOOD
Van Buren, the region’s second largest city, had 75 projects permitted in March with a value of $8.041 million, 23 times more than the $346,500 value of 60 projects permitted in March 2024.

The city issued 20 permits for residential construction with a value of $2.391 million, 878% higher than the $244,500 residential construction projects permitted in March 2024.

There were two commercial permits issued in March with a combined value of $5.204 million. There were no commercial projects permitted in March 2024. The largest commercial project permitted in March was a $5.2 million wastewater treatment facility for Tate & Lyle Solutions USA at 610 S. 28th St. in Van Buren. Tate & Lyle Public Limited Company is a British-based global supplier of food and beverage products.

Van Buren has had a total of $10.311 million in permitted building activity in the first quarter of 2025, a 279% increase from the $2.718 million for the first quarter of 2024.

Greenwood issued 23 permits in March with a combined value of $475,671, a 77% increase from the $268,728 value of 13 permits issued in March 2024. In the first three months of the year, the city issued building permits with a value of $2.746 million, down 8.7% from the $3.009 million in the first quarter of 2024.

Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren building permit values in 2024 totaled $271.09 million, a 45% decline from $492.29 million in 2023. That was the first year since 2017 that regional building activity has declined.

REGIONAL BUILDING ACTIVITY RECAP
Combined total for the three cities
2024: $271.09 million
2023: $520.64 million
2022: $480.37 million
2021: $343.28 million
2020: $265.97 million
2019: $241.74 million
2018: $231.78 million
2017: $210.84 million
2016: $211.34 million
2015: $218.89 million
2014: $198.98 million