Sullivan building inspector, Dan King, released the 2008 construction totals report for the City of Sullivan to the Independent News on Friday showing the city total construction for 2008 came in at $14,200,266 compared $8,101,283 in 2007.
King stated in his report that the construction industry in Sullivan was similar in 2008 compared to 2007; in that, residential construction was down compared to previous years.
“The total number of building permits issued was 276; three more than the previous year. New starts for single-family dwellings were down from last year by one, with 12 new homes being built. The total construction cost for single-family dwellings was $1,552,060 with the average cost of a new  home built in the city down from $136,730 to $129,338.
This is the second year in a row that the average cost of a single-family home in Sullivan has dropped. Many of the new homes being built were rentals. Two-family dwelling unit (duplex) permits were up in 2008, with eight new duplexes being built, compared to seven in 2007. The construction cost for the eight duplexes built was $2,237,000 compared to $1,589,000 in 2007.
The city had no multi-family dwelling unit projects in 2008. All other residential permits (roofing, siding, HVAC, electric service upgrades, renovations, additions, etc.) issued totaled $2,209,102 in construction cost compared to $1,211,901 in 2007.
Sixty-five of the 276 permits issued were for commercial and industrial projects. Some of the major project permits and their construction cost are are follows: a new 2,800 sq. ft. banquet hall and two small tenant spaces, costing $320,910; MFA built a new building for grinding of their feeds as the first phase of a proposed new retail location at a cost of $72,000.
BJC finished the remainder of the first floor of phase two of the hospital expansion at a cost of $1,300,000; Jeff Locke leased 6,000 sq. ft. of the first floor of his second building for a kidney dialysis center, with a cost of $710,000 for the infill; Peterson Oil demolished part of their existing building and rebuilt at a cost of $94,000.
The Sullivan Fire Protection District is building a new firehouse at a cost of $2,700,000; the Sullivan Eye Clinic is adding 1,320 sq. ft. and renovating their existing building at a cost of $200,000; and, finally, BJC is finishing the basement portion of the phase two building at a cost of $2,000,000.
All commercial and industrial permits issued in 2008 had a total construction cost of $8,201,944.”
King expects construction in 2009 to fair well on the commercial side of things with the new AutoZone being constructed along the South Service Rd., expansion at PolyOne and continued work at Missouri Baptist Hospital with a new administration wing.