Building permits are off to a good start in North Battleford but the biggest driver was a permit for a building to come down, not go up.
The demolition permit issued for Saskatchewan Hospital made up the lion’s share of the building permit value for January in the city.
Ten permits were issued in Jan. 2021 for $4,797,000, up from six for $638,000 in the same month last year. Director of Planning and Development Jennifer Niesink confirmed to North Battleford city council members on Monday that the hospital demolition alone made up over $4 million of the total, though a more precise number was not available.
There were two permits issued for demolitions and removals in January for a grand total of $4,402,000, making up 91 per cent of the permit values for the month.
There were also five residential alterations for $270,000, as well as two sign permits ($40,000) and one commercial alteration ($85,000).
Last month, Silverado Demolition Operations Ltd. out of Saskatoon were contracted by the province to do the demolition work. They began on Jan. 11 with abatement work – removing hazardous materials and preparing the site for safe demolition.
The Sask. Hospital demolition is expected to continue over the next few months, into the spring.
