The city of Cambridge is responding to “momentous growth and development with a substantial upsurge in construction and building activity,” by hiring another employee in the building department.
GTA builders are migrating west in search of other development opportunities and find Cambridge to be a desirable location, said the city’s chief building official Dennis Purcell.
The city is attractive to business and industrial developers due to its location along the Highway 401 corridor and its proximity to the GTA and the American border.
Purcell says additional staff is needed to keep up with demand.
“With Cambridge having evolved into a thriving mid-sized city, interest in Cambridge from developers, builders, homeowners and the investment/business community continues to increase and keep pressure on building officials and the division to adapt and deliver effective and timely services,” he said in a report to council.
The city has experienced “a significant increase in construction activity with growth forecasts suggesting it will continue into the foreseeable future.
“As a result, the workload of the building division has also substantially increased with a higher volume of permit applications and heightened demands for permit issuance and inspections.
In 2019, a total of 1,642 permits at a construction value of $456 million were issued, an increase from 2018 when a total of 1,051 permits were issued with a value of $371 million. In 2018, the number of residential units built was 578 and that number jumped to 1,049 in 2019.
Increasing staffing levels will “contribute to keeping the building division responsive, agile and a leader in helping the public,” Purcell said.
“With Cambridge having evolved into a thriving mid-sized city, interest in Cambridge from developers, builders, homeowners and the investment/business community continues to increase and keep pressure on building officials and the division to adapt and deliver effective and timely services.”
Subdivisions on Limerick Road and in the Hunt Club area are both projects being lead by GTA builders that total more than 3,000 new residential units for the city.
A lot of commercial construction is also picking up on Boxwood Drive near Highway 401.
Story continues below
“It’s nice to see what’s happening in Cambridge,” he added.
“We’re seeing a nice blend of commercial and residential projects.”
Purcell said he is expecting to see construction in the city ramp up as spring approaches.
Revenue from permits has gone up by $500,000 in the past three years, according to a report to council. It is part of Purcell’s rationale to hire an additional full-time staff person in the building division, which will cost the city $85,000 every year.
The report also notes that more diverse and complex projects are coming to Cambridge as it grows into a mid-sized city.
Cambridge council will consider Purcell’s request to hire additional staff at a meeting on