Oshawa sets new building records

OSHAWA, ONT.—Oshawa is setting new building records, five of them in all.

In 2015, Oshawa had its highest total overall construction value with $558.7 million; the highest year for residential construction value at $454.4 million; the highest year for the total number of permits issued at 1,956; the highest residential construction value for one month with July bringing in $96.6 million; and the highest overall construction value in the month of July with $114.9 million.

According to a release, it’s the second time in the city’s history that it surpassed half a billion in construction value, which shattered 2014’s record by $52 million. In a breakdown of the numbers, the amounts show that of the $558.7 million, $454.4 million was in residential, $63.7 million in governmental/institutional, $29 million in commercial and $11.6 million in industrial value.

There were 1,364 new residential units created in Oshawa, explains the release, which consisted of 733 single detached dwellings, 385 apartment units, 186 townhouse units, 29 accessory dwellings, 25 semi-detached dwellings and six duplexes.

Some of the more notable 2015 projects in the city included Bond & Mary Development Inc., a mixed-use commercial/apartment building at 100 Bond St. E. with a value of $50 million; a new Region of Durham transit maintenance facility valued at $31 million; a $9.8 million apartment building by Mahogany Management at 1658 Ritson Rd. N.; a new $9.7 million elementary school on Coldstream Drive; and a new $8.6 elementary school at 285 Grandview St. S.