October building activity dominated by demolition

A $2.4 million permit for demolition of the old Sarnia General Hospital on Mitton Street accounted for the lion's share of October's building activity. City hall issued 45 permits with a total value of just over $6 million, compared to a whopping $30 million in October 2017. Last year's numbers, however, were bolstered by a permit of nearly $22 million for renovation and expansion of the new Great Lakes Secondary School (formerly St. Clair Secondary School) on Murphy Road. Year-to-date, city building permits total $76 million, well off the 2017 pace of almost $99 million. Permits for single family homes are also lagging behind 2017. Just four were issued in October for a year-to-date total of 75, compared to 88 last year.