By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Is the nationwide bank-loan fiasco and economic slowdown hitting central Arkansas?
The building-permit numbers seem to say yes in a big way, at least in larger cities.
Sherwood is down $9 million from the same time period last year, Cabot is down nearly $5 million and Jacksonville is down $4.7 million.
In Sherwood, 98 single-home permits worth $18.26 million were issued during the first five months of 2007. During the same time period this year, 80 permits have been issued worth $9.21 million, a drop of $9 million.
Cabot issued 118 single-family and commercial permits in the first five months of 2007 worth a total of $13.76 million. For the first five months of 2008, Cabot has issued 67 permits worth $8.89 million, down $4.97 million.
In the first five months of 2007, Jacksonville issued 77 single-home permits worth a total of $8.08 million, but in the same January to May period of this year, the city has issued just 26 single-family home permits worth $3.38 million, a value drop of close to $4.7 million.The 26 total permits issued through May of this year are two fewer than were issued just in March 2007.
Smaller cities like Austin and Ward are bucking the downward trend. Ward is up about $700,000 and Austin up about $500,000. In Ward, 49 permits were issued in Janaury through May 2007 fora total value of $2.75 million. For the same time period this year, 48 permits have been issued with a value of $3.34 million.
Even though the permit numbers are down slightly this year for Austin, their value is up. In 2007, through May, Austin issued 50 building permits with a total value of $5.5 million. For the same time period this year, the city has issued 43 permits worth $6 million.
Lonoke’s numbers are running slightly ahead of last year. The value of permits issued in that city through the first five months of 2007 was $1.69 million and in 2008 its at $1.74 million.
JACKSONVILLE
In May the city issued 13 building permits worth a total of $456,000. Among the permits issued were:
A $130,000 single-family home permit issued to Garrett Construction to build at 406 Forest Glen Cove.
A $115,000 single-family home permit issued to Allgood Custom Homes to build at 5616 Aviator.
A $115,000 multi-family home permit issued to Haggard Construction to build at 913 and 915 Ruth Ann.
SHERWOOD
During May, Sherwood issued 77 permits for a total value of $2.81 million, down almost $4 million from May 2007 and for the year the city is running about $6.96 million behind 2007 in total value of permits.
Among permits issued in May were:
A $245,000 single-family home permit issued to Dussex Construction to build at 9257 Johnson.
A $237,000 single-family home permit issued to A-Plus Builders to build at 8433 Garnet Cove.
A $198,000 single-family home permit issued to Wilson Custom Construction to build at 10839 Loop Road.
A $182,300 single-family home permit issued to Shelton Bell Custom Built Homes to build at 9217 Johnson Drive.
A $169,500 single-family home permit issued to SDH Custom Homes to build at 9541 Journey Drive.
A $162,000 single-family home permit issued to Dellinger Construction to build at 3209 Clearwater Ct.
A $160,000 single-family home permit issued to Engel Construction to build at 2716 Serenade Dr.
A $155,000 single-family home permit issued to Medlock Construction to build at 9200 Wilhite Ave.
Two $140,000 single-family home permits issued to Wiggins Co., to build at 7909 and 8133 Austin Gardens Ct.
A $130,000 single-family home permit issued to Engel Home Builders to build at 233 Pumice Dr.
Two $123,417 single-family home permits issued to Custom Construction to build at 2109 and 2100 Sage Meadows Circle.
A $120,000 single-family home permit issued to J&M Builders to build at 9101 Wilhite Ave.
A $110,000 single-family home permit issued to Medlock Construction to build at 9008 Wilhite Ave.
A $104,000 single-family home permit issued to Wilson Custom Construction to build at 9201 Wilhite Ave.
Two $100,000 single-family home permits issued to Nuage Residential Contractor’s to build at 1813 and 1908 Windridge Ct.
CABOT
During May, Cabot issued eight permits worth $1.17 million. Permits issued included:
A $344,190 commercial permit issued to Greer Properties to build at 107 Plaza Blvd.
A $151,500 single-family home permit issued to Nathan Irsch to build at 59 Cossacot Circle.
A $146,375 single-family home permit issued to Paul Shield to build at 16 Emily Cove.n
A $136,375 single-family home permit issued to R&G Investments to build at 26 Tradewinds.
A $103,025 single-family home permit issued to Rausch Coleman Homes to build at 19 Daytona Dr.
A $102,125 single-family home permit issued to Rausch Coleman Homes to build at 18 Talladega Dr.
A $98,000 commercial permit issued to Country Romance to build a warehouse at 920 W. Main.
An $85,500 single-family home permit issued to RKB Construction to build at 2806 Browning Circle.
BEEBE
Beebe had a strong March with 21 building permits issued, and 16 of those for single-family homes. But only three permits were issued in April and two in May. The May permits include:
A $660,000 commercial permit issued to Delk Construction to build kindergarten classrooms.
A $130,000 single-family home permit issued to Pam and Jayson Fletcher to build at 101 Griffin Dr.
AUSTIN
Austin issued five permits during May worth about $700,000. The single-home permits during May include:
A $248,720 permit issued to Ridgepoint Home to build at180 Crystal Lake Road.
A $114,366 permit issued to KC Homes to build at 251 Lariat Drive.
A $114, 366 permit issued to Weathers Inc. to build at 242 Lariat Drive.
A $107,800 permit issued to Moore & Moore to build at 208 Plum Dr.
A $104,958 permit issued to Moore & Moore to build at 172 Peach St.
WARD
Ward issued nine permits in May and seven of them were for single family homes. Those permits included:
A $95,000 permit issued to Paul Stokes to build at 10 and 12 Sundown Dr.
A $90,575 permit issued to Howard-N-Howard Construction to build at 15 Magnolia Lane.
A $83,600 permit issued to Howard-N-Howard Construction to build at 20 Birchwood Dr.
An $80,800 permit issued to Howard-N-Howard Construction to build at 22 Magnolia Lane.
A $76,675 permit issued to Royal Concept Custom Homes to build at 65 Willow Lake.
Two $51,400 permits issued to Jeremy Greer to build at 147 and 153 Cook St.
