EBR building permits end 2012 down 16%

About 3,500 fewer projects were permitted in East Baton Rouge Parish in 2012 than were the year previous, a drop of roughly 16%, according to a new report from the city-parish Public Works Department. A total of 18,260 projects received a permit in 2012, compared to 21,759 in 2011. The annual tally was hampered by a December in which 1,377 permits were issued, or about 11.5% fewer than the 1,556 issued in December 2011. While total permitting was down in 2012, the number of permits issued for residential projects posted an increase—1,686, compared to 1,552 in 2011. Commercial permitting was down on the year, with 737 issued, compared to 814 in 2011. The largest commercial project receiving a permit in December was a new Paretti Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle dealership planned on Airline Highway, just south of Pecue Lane. The 26,500-square-foot dealership at 13934 Airline Hwy. is valued at just less than $4.9 million. The second-largest commercial project permitted in December was a nearby auto dealership at 13399 Airline Hwy. being developed by brothers John and David Fabre, who own Infiniti and Acura dealerships in Baton Rouge. They’re planning a 7,818-square-foot Subaru dealership on the site, valued at $1.5 million. Daily Report has more details on both planned dealerships here.