Moosomin building permits over $12 million
January 6, 2015, 7:41 am
Julia Dima
Building permits in Moosomin are down from last year’s numbers, but large developments in the past two years have increased Moosomin’s tax levy to over $2 million.
In 2014, the total value of building permits in Moosomin amounted to $12,017,200. 2013 saw a record permit amount, with over $19 million.
Last year’s high number came as a result of some big ticket buildings like the new Celebration Ford building at $5.1 million and the new Best Western Hotel being built between Canalta and Motel 6, with a permit worth $9 million.
Construction on the Best Western actually began in 2014.
Some changes were made to the original construction plan of the new hotel, which was originally planned to have four stories and about 100 rooms. Now, it will be a three-story hotel with 78 rooms.
Despite not having large commercial building permits this year, Moosomin saw a significant increase in residential permits. Residential permits amounted to $11,597,200, which accounted for 96.5 per cent of permits in 2014.
Of those residential permits, there were four new homes built, on Hussein Drive and Dorchester Place. The value of the homes totalled $1,271,000, with the highest valued being a $500,000 home on Hussein Drive.
As well as the four homes, there was also a $700,000 permit for a new tri-plex on Dorchester Place, and a mobile home with a permit of $94,900.
In addition to residential homes, there were eight renovations or garage additions, which totalled $234,600.
However, residential permits also saw a significant increase this year thanks to the development of two new condo/apartment buildings on Main Street, and the start of construction on the second phase of Pipestone Villas.
Pipestone Villas was the largest building permit, coming in at $6.5 million. Construction began on the new phase located beside the first Pipestone Villas building this summer.
As well, the two condos on Main Street had sizable building permits as well, with the first one around $1.45 million, and the second $1.35 million.
The condos, which can be purchased or rented, show a growing need for housing in Moosomin. Garry Bonkowski, who owns the first building says it made sense to invest in housing in Moosomin.
“There’s a need for rental places in Moosomin,” he says. “There has already been lots of people interested.”
The first condo is 30 per cent rented out, and Bonkowski says as other interested renters finish their current leases in other locations, the building will fill up.
The second condo is not owned by Bonkowski, but was built by the same company, Stoneveld Properties, and owned by their company, RCM Inc. though Bonkowski is helping get the second building rented out as well. Bonkowski says that when the need arises for more accommodation after the first two units are filled, he would get another unit built.
The individual apartments are modular structures, so they are delivered already constructed, and stacked on site. The assembly process can be completed in a day.
“I’ve been in this area doing construction for 30 years, and in Moosomin and area, it’s just a steady increase of growth. Over the last three years especially,” he says.
Bonkowski plans to keep building in Moosomin as long as Moosomin keeps growing.
Mayor Larry Tomlinson believes that Moosomin will continue to see that growth happen.
“I think this town is going to continue to grow,” he says. “I think we’ll continue to see some growth in Moosomin in 2015—Mazer’s is doing an expansion, John Deere is planning to as well, and I am sure we will see even more new houses.”
The tax levy in Moosomin continues to go up as well with the construction of new commercial properties and new homes.
For 2013, the levy was $1,981,059.80. For 2014, it went up $62,846.81.
Ten years ago in 2005, the total levy was only $984,805.49. Since 2007, the levy has been increasing by about $100,000 to $200,000 each year.
Tomlinson says after the damage the town incurred in the summer floods, that increased tax levy is a good thing for the town. “It’s very necessary considering what we’ve been through this past year,” he says. “We need funding. We spent a lot of money this year, and we’re not done either.”
Tomlinson says that thanks to the rising tax base, Moosomin is better able to handle the cost of the flood damage.
“We would have been in the red big time, if not for this,” he says.
The $2,043,906.61 tax levy for 2014 does not yet include the new Best Western hotel either, which will be assessed in 2015.
In addition to the $11.5 million in residential permits, there was one commercial building permit for a new shop at Davidson’s Truck and Tractor of $400,000, and one institutional permit belonging to the town of Moosomin for a new shed near the lagoon worth $20,000.
