The numbers are in, and 2022 was another solid year for the RPGA Planning District.
According to year-end statistics, 188 building permits were issued throughout the year, up from 183 in 2021. 101 of those permits were issued for projects in the Municipality of Rhineland, and 99 in the Town of Altona.
The value of permits taken out also increased year-over-year, coming in at around $34 million. The Town of Altona accounted for $14 million, up from $9 million in 2021, while values in the Municipality of Rhineland remained relatively level at $19 million.
"We saw a decrease in residential permits in Rhineland, going from 48 homes (in 2021) to 34 homes in 2022, and an increase in Altona from 44 homes (in 2021) to 51 homes (in 2022)," explained Susan Stein, Community Development Officer for the planning district. "The increase in Altona was largely due to multi-family homes including a six, eight and eighteen unit apartment buildings."
As for commercial/industrial builds or renovations, Rhineland stayed relatively equal to the past year while Altona saw an increase of almost $2 million.
"Overall, I would say we had a great year. We stayed even in Rhineland and saw a great increase in Altona. We saw a great start to the year, but we did see a slow down towards the end, which other communities seem to be echoing. Overall, I think increased costs might have held some people from building, and hopefully, going forward we will see some of those builds starting," said Stein.
She noted, a lot of discussion remains regarding commercial and industrial development in both municipalities.
Overall, Stein believes figures will stay much the same for 2023.
"Maybe slight increases in commercial/industrial. For residential, I think we're still going to see a slowdown in single-family homes, but probably an increase in multi-family whether it be rentals or affordable housing. We're also seeing a lot more condos in the smaller communities like Plum Coulee, and in Altona."
"There's a lot of exciting things happening in the business world, and I think that's going to convert in the next couple of years in building and population growth which, in turn, reflects in our building assessment," added Stein.