Crown Point new home construction growing again
By Carrie Napoleon Post-Tribune correspondent August 11, 2012 11:44PM
Updated: September 13, 2012 6:19AM
CROWN POINT — Housing starts in the city are up more than 60 percent so far in 2012 over last year.
Curt Graves, director of community development, told the City Council his department has issued 85 building permits for new homes in 2012 through July compared to 55 issued during the same period in 2011.
“It’s a very good sign,” Graves said.
In July the city saw permits issued for $10.6 million in new construction and $35.8 million in new construction so far this year. In July alone the city collected $100,000 in building permit fees.
Mayor David Uran said the figures are encouraging.
“Again, the city is doing very, very well in construction,” Uran said.
Total new home permits in 2011 came in at 107. In nearby Winfield, 93 permits were issued. In 2011, 16 permits were issued in Schererville, 17 in Dyer and 67 in St. John, Graves said Friday.
“If we keep this pace going we will outpace last year. I don’t have a crystal ball. Things could change overnight,” he said.
His office is working with the developer of the Ellendale Farms subdivision to finalize another phase of the development. D.R. Horton Homes is making inroads into the city as well. The national home builder is on the Aug. 27 Board of Zoning Appeals agenda regarding the construction of an approximately 3,000-square-foot model home and sales office at the main entry to Ellendale at Mary Ellen Drive and Lake Street. The company has plans to construct a parking lot on Mary Ellen Drive for customers and employees to keep parking off the street.
“They plan on that being there three or four years,” Graves said.
The city has seen steady increases in its housing starts since the market bottomed out in 2008. At that time new home building permits were at a low of 72. In 2009 those numbers inched forward to 79, then up to 92 in 2010. The city experienced its all-time high in permits issued in 2005 with 295. There were 280 permits issued in 2004 and 249 issued in 2006.
