Fort Smith metro building permit values up 20% through October

Fort Smith metro building activity in October was up almost 40% compared with the same period in 2024, and regional permit numbers continue to surpass those of last year, according to city reports.

October building permits issued in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $15.675 million, up 39.4% from the $11.241 million in October 2024, and up 6.2% from the $14.763 million reported in September.

Year-to-date, the three cities reported $247.089 million in permitted construction, up 20% from the $205.937 million in the first 10 months of 2024.

Fort Smith issued 271 permits in October with a value of $14.234 million, up 81.7% from the $7.835 million value of 165 projects permitted in October 2024. The city has issued $218.405 million in building permits through October, up 9.2% from the $199.943 million reported in the same period in 2024.

There were nine permits issued for construction of single-family homes in October with a total value of $1.957 million, up 122% from the $883,356 value of five new single-family home projects in October 2024. There also were three new residential duplex projects permitted in the month with a total value of $593,120.

There were two new commercial projects permitted in the month with a combined value of $415,000, compared to no new commercial projects in October 2024. The two new projects are a $340,000 new mini storage facility at 5115 Towson Ave., by RJ Prinja LLC of Fort Smith, and a rebuild of the laundry room at Kinkead Village apartments at 3600 Fianna Way.

VAN BUREN, GREENWOOD PERMITS
Van Buren, the region’s second largest city, had 61 projects permitted in October with a value of $1.079 million, a 15.1% decrease from the $1.271 million value of 89 projects permitted in October 2024.

The city had nine residential construction projects permitted with a value of $349,260, 72% less than the $1.258 million value of 12 residential projects permitted in October 2024. There were three commercial projects permitted with a combined value of $721,000, 55 times more than the $13,000 value of one commercial project in October 2024.

Van Buren had $17.781 million in permitted building activity through October, down 13.5% from the $20.557 million during the same period in 2024.

Greenwood issued 20 permits in October with a combined value of $362,347, 83% less than the $2.135 million value of 30 permits in October 2024. Through October, Greenwood has issued building permits with a value of $11.883 million, down 1.96% from $12.12 million in the first 10 months of 2024.

Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren building permit values in 2024 totaled $271.09 million, a 48% decline from $520.64 million in 2023. It was the first year since 2017 that regional building activity declined.

REGIONAL BUILDING ACTIVITY RECAP
Combined permit value totals 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