Commercial Construction Soars in County in First Half

A healthy economy has boosted commercial construction in Orange County nearly 27% in the first six months of the year.

Permits for more than $458.9 million of new construction were issued in the county this year, up from $361.9 million in the first six months last year, according to the Construction Industry Research Board in Burbank. Industrial and retail construction led the surge. The dollar value of permits for new retail centers almost doubled in the first six months of 1997 to $90.3 million from $53.2 million in the first half of last year.

But this burst of building activity isn’t limited to warehouses and strip centers. Residential builders are putting up more houses, too.

The number of permits pulled for new homes in Orange County increased 21% to 6,226 from 5,148 a year ago. The total estimated value of these homes rose 30%, to $971.5 million for the first six months of 1997 from $748 million in the first half of 1996, proving that more expensive homes are being built here this year.