‘Real Estate Weekly’: EBR building permits up slightly in November

The number of projects permitted in East Baton Rouge Parish rose by a scant 0.65% in November, compared to the same month last year, according to a new report from the city-parish Public Works Department. A total of 1,704 permits were issued during the month: up from 1,693 in November 2011, but down slightly from the 1,782 issued in October. Residential permits issued in November totaled 151, up from 112 on the month a year ago. Commercial permitting was also up, with 84 projects getting the green light in November, compared to 68 during the month last year. Valued at $24.5 million, the largest commercial project to receive a permit last month was the 120,600-square-foot expansion of the Baton Rouge General Medical Center at 8611 Picardy Ave., adjacent to the hospital’s Bluebonnet Boulevard campus. The project recently broke ground, and Milton J. Womack is the general contractor. The second-largest commercial project permitted in November was the new 19,500-square-foot gymnasium planned at Scotlandville Elementary School, valued at $7.1 million. Arkel Constructors is the general contractor on that project. Year-to-date, building permits are at 16,883 through November, down 16.4% compared to the 20,203 permits issued during the first 11 months of 2011. You can access the complete November permits report, as well as reports from previous months, via the new Real Estate Weekly e-newsletter here.