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Sault Ste. Marie had a bust-out year for construction in 2021

City issues 1,311 building permits last year, worth $211.4 million, doubling any of the previous five years
David Helwig
David Helwig
Soo construction 4
(File photo)

COVID-19 may be kicking our backsides, but the latest building permit statistics released by the City of Sault Ste. Marie show the local construction sector is enjoying its best performance in recent memory.

Permits issued in 2021 totalled $221.4 million, higher than any of the previous dozen years and easily twice the construction value of any of the previous five years.

In the 12-year period from 2009 to 2020, the best years were 2011 ($169.3 million), 2010 ($150.8 million) and 2009 ($125.9 million).

Last year, 1,125 permits valued at $75 million were issued for local residential projects.

A total of 51 permits worth $38.1 million were issued in the institutional and governmental category.

Twenty-two industrial building permits added up to $8.4 million.

In the commercial sector, there were 113 permits worth $89.9 million.

Major construction projects for which building permits were issued in 2021 included the following:

  • $30,000,000 – City of Sault Ste. Marie: twin-pad arena and events venue at 556 Goulais Ave. Demolition and remediation of existing structure to commence upon completion
  • $17,800,000 – Extendicare Inc.: addition and alteration to existing long-term care facility at 39 Van Daele St.
  • $15,000,000 – Ben Pino: to construct a single-storey, slab-on-grade retail/grocery store complex at 439 Great Northern Rd.
  • $12,400,000 – Algoma Power Inc.: to construct a 3,627-square-metre operations facility consisting of offices, fleet storage, repair and service area at 251 Industrial Park Cres.
  • $9,917,261 – Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corp.: to construct a four-storey office building at 540 Albert St. East
  • $8,000,000 – 890714 Ontario Inc.: permit to install site services for townhouse development at 25 Donna Dr.
  • $4,148,000 – Sault College: interior alterations and renovations at 443 Northern Ave. East
  • $3,000,000 – Plaza REIT: interior alterations and renovations including a demising wall to create two tenant spaces and plumbing, HVAC and electrical work om retail complex at 248 Northern Ave. East
  • $2,700,000 – Algoma District School Board: interior alterations to existing building, including energy-efficient upgrades to HVAC, lighting as well as washrooms and window replacement at Prince Charles Secondary School at 550 Northern Ave. East
  • $2,400,000 – BP Investments: interior and exterior renovations/alterations to suit IDA tenant in half of the existing retail outlet building at 219 Trunk Rd.
  • $2,329,596 – Barry Hinds: roofing replacement on retail complex at 200 McNabb St.
  • $2,260,000 – PUC Distributing Inc.: remove pre-fabricated e-house and construct new 132.7 M2 substation building with underground services at 601 Third Line East
  • $2,000,000 – 2668352 Ontario Inc.: interior alterations and renovation in main tower area for retirement residence at 617 Queen St. East
  • $1,888,100 – Algoma District School Board: interior renovations including electrical/mechanical, structural, plus exterior improvements to facade ro create new entrance canopy at R.M. Moore Public School, 1272 Base Line
  • $1,764,721 – Algoma District School Board: interior alterations including architectural, structural, and mechanical at elementary school, kindergarten at 735 North St.
  • $1,637,000 – Algoma District School Board: install new roofing membrane and 138 windows at board headquarters at 644 Albert St. East
  • $1,600,000 – new single-family dwelling with attached garage and finished basement near the north city limits
  • $1,600,000 – Algoma Steel Inc.: structure to house hydraulic room electrical rooms and pulpit for plate mill modernization at 513 Wallace Terrace
  • $1,540,000 – Walmart Canada Corp.: removal of waste oil system, trench drains and plumbing capped below new slab in automotive bay area, soil testing and removal of any contaminated subsoil, removal of low-level sprinkler line in tire storage rack area at 446 Great Northern Rd.
  • $1,527,000 – Algoma District School Board: interior renovations and alterations including new washrooms, new boiler room and administrative offices at Isabel Fletcher School, 599 Third Line West 
  • $1,450,000 – Algoma University: interior renovations to the Speakeasy bar/cafeteria at 1520 Queen St. E.
  • $1,300,000 – Algoma District School Board: interior renovations at R.M. Moore Public School, 1272 Base Line
  • $1,200,000 – 1890714 Ontario Inc.: four townhouse units at 25 Donna Drive
  • $1,048,631 – Sault Area Hospital: installing pre-manufactured steel containers for UPS and battery units including new transformers at 750 Great Northern Rd.
  • $1,000,000 – 1890714 Ontario Inc.: single-storey slab-on-grade three-unit town house with attached garage and covered patio at 25 Donna Dr. (Note: there are additional permits for three more units at this address, valued at $975,000)
  • $1,000,000 – 985872 Ontario Inc.: second phase of warehouse project at 500 Wellington St. West

— SooToday