Fort Smith metro building numbers down almost 19% through June

Building activity in the Fort Smith metro area grew again in June but remained down from the same time in 2025. Permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $36.103 million in June, 38.3% lower than the $58.484 million in June 2025, but up 76% from the $20.52 million in May.

In the first six months of the year, the region had $144.945 million in permitted building activity, down 18.9% from the $178.789 million reported in the same period in 2025.

Fort Smith issued 468 permits in June with a value of $24.888 million, down 52.7% from the $52.651 million value of 234 projects permitted in June 2025. The city had $123.575 million in permitted activity in the half of year, down 20.4% from $155.3 million from January through June 2025.

There were nine permits issued for new single-family residential projects in the month with a value of $2.143 million, down 45.1% from $3.91 million with 15 new residential projects permitted this time last year. There was also a permit issued in June for a $2.1 million new 12-unit apartment complex 5416 S. X St., and two new duplex construction projects with a combined value of $365,000.

The city issued one new commercial construction for a $450,000 510-square-feet prefabricated, drive-thru coffee shop at 4520 Phoenix Ave., owned by Skala Rea Estate Holdings of Fort Smith. New commercial construction was 97.4% less than the $17.3 million value of three new commercial construction projects permitted in June of last year.

VAN BUREN, GREENWOOD ACTIVITY
Van Buren had 80 projects permitted in June with a value of $10.309 million, up 569% from the $1.542 million value of 70 projects permitted in June 2025. The city issued three permits for residential construction with a value of $33,000, a 96.1% decrease from the $846,000 value of nine residential projects in June 2025.

There were four commercial projects permitted in June with a combined value of $10.078 million, more than 15 times the $650,000 value of one commercial project permitted in June 2025. Included in the projects are two new wings Valley Springs Assisted Living at 318 Pointer Trail West. The $10 million project will add two 20,060-square-feet buildings to the facility. Arkansas Builders and Remodeling of Alexandria, La., is heading up the project.

Building permit values in the first six months of 2026 for the city totaled $14.732 million, a 7% increase from the $13.772 million in the first half of 2025.

Greenwood issued 33 building permits in the month with a value of $914,347, 78.7% less than the $4.297 million value of 26 projects permitted in June 2025. The city has had $6.638 million in permitted activity so far in 2026, down 31.7% from $9.717 million through June 2025.

Building permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled at least $282.576 million in 2025, up 4.2% compared with 2024.

ANNUAL PERMIT NUMBERS

Following are combined annual permit value totals for the three cities since 2015.
2025: $282.58 million*
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
(*The 2025 tally does not include December permit numbers for Greenwood.)