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Published in the Mojave Desert News on October 2, 2003CalCity helps fuel Kern construction surge
BAKERSFIELD - Kern County saw the summer trend of increased building
activity really take off in July. After declining in three of the year's
first four
months, July marked the third consecutive month in which the value of permits
issued for qualifying new construction improved on numbers from the same
period in 2002. July's 42.33-percent bulge over same period in 2002 is
the largest
jump for the year to date.
Figures compiled by the Kern County Board of Trade show building permits
issued for the 31-day period were valued at $113,014,701 compared to
$79,403,924 logged the previous July. The latest number is also a 33.64-percent
increase from June, when $84,568,578 worth of building permits was issued.
Through seven months of 2003, Kern County has reported $626,256,358 in
qualifying new construction permits, 4.19 percent behind the $653,614,311
logged
through July of last year. That reflects a marked turnaround for a building
industry that trailed 2002 by nearly 39 percent at the end of February
and 23
percent at the end of April.
Again, both the residential and commercial sectors contributed to the increase.
Kern County's housing market continued to fuel the construction engine.
July
valuation jumped by 29.96 percent from $51,739,130 in July 2002 to $67,238,187.
Housing starts for the year to date are up 30.42 percent from $337,890,727
a
year ago to $440,286,739.
Commercial projects for the month totaled $23,494,598 - an increase of
41.25
percent from July 2002's $16,633,922. Total commercial building, now at
$117,522,836 for the year, still lags 54.51 percent behind last year's
frantic pace
when $258,334,653 was reported after seven months.
Seven of the county's 12 reporting zones (11 incorporated cities plus
unincorporated Kern) showed increases in monthly valuation. Those gains,
however, continue to be enough to offset the areas of slower growth.
More than half of the county's activity took place in Bakersfield. Monthly
valuation jumped 25.08 percent from the previous July, with $63,369,694
in
qualifying new construction permits versus $50,661,939. Over $40 million
of that
total was due to housing, with 266 new permits being issued. Medical and
office
facilities on Stockdale Highway ($4,036,261) and Mervyn's Stores construction
on Mall View Road ($2,179,650) were the major commercial projects. For
the
year to date, Bakersfield is up 20.58 percent from $296,166,869 to $357,123,345.
Again only Delano and California City joined the county seat's feat
of improving
on both the monthly and year-to-date totals.
California City added $1,422,824 in valuation for July, nearly a ten-fold
increase
from the $134,631 reported during the previous June. Major projects included
$165,744 in valuation for a 2,400-square foot facility for the Church of
Christ and
eight new homes. California City's seven-month total of $5,073,018 is
84.26-percent better than 2002's mark of $2,753,240.
Ridgecrest enjoyed a robust month with $5,142,964 in July valuation, up
57.28
percent from the previous July's $3,270,008. Construction of the new Home
Depot store (valuation $4,247,192) was the big contributor to the total.
So far in
2003 the desert community has issued $8,817,789 worth of permits, 4.3-percent
short of the $9,214,283 logged after July 2002.
The remaining area to post an increase was unincorporated Kern. July
construction was valued at $35,960,221 - up 75.66 percent from the $20,471,789
issued 12 months earlier. A total of 153 housing projects created nearly
$19
million in valuation. For the year to date, unincorporated building is
17.88 percent
behind last year's pace with $209,185,096 in 2003 compared to $254,738,707
through seven months of 2002.
Tehachapi saw July figures dip almost 58 percent from 2002's total of $382,090
to $160,511 in 2003. For the year-to-date, 2003's seven-month valuation
of
$1,687,250 is 24.74 percent under the $2,241,964 reported for the same
stretch of
2002.
The monthly building permit analysis is compiled by the Board of Trade
from
reports submitted by the county building department and all incorporated
cities
within Kern County.
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