Economists have finally decided that 2008 was a year of recession. That came as no surprise to the people of Emporia. The layoffs announced by Tyson Fresh Meats a year ago were just the first of a string of leading indicators of the local economy.
But one of the bright spots for the community in 2008 was the construction industry. A year-end report from the city’s department of code services shows that, in some ways, 2008 was a good year in Emporia.
To be sure, construction of new housing was down in the city. For construction of single-family houses, permits were issued for a construction value of $709,625 were issued in 2008, compared to $3,986,702 in 2007.
The same pattern held true in two-family houses and multi-family houses. In duplexes, the value for 2008 was $193,539. The value for 2007 was $318,591. Apartment house construction in 2008 totaled $1,940,024, compared to $3,286,614 in 2007.
Some of the notable projects in these categories in 2008 included the Ashley condominiums on Prairie Street, the Granada Lofts at Eighth Avenue and Commercial Street and the new townhouses in the 1100 block of Merchant Street.
Remodeling and renovation of residential property was also down, in spite of a strong demand for roof repairs and replacement through the year. In 2008, in residential categories, permits were issued for $4,019,146 worth of work, compared to $7,196,007 in 2007.
The really bright spot in construction for the year was the result of one project — construction of the Hill’s Pet Nutrition plant at South Avenue and Weaver Street.
The plant, which resumed construction recently after a long delay, single-handedly pushed construction in 2008 past the figure for 2007. A number of permits were issued for the project during the year, the largest for more than $10 million, issued in December.
As a result, the final total in all categories for 2008 was $26, 805,737, more than a million dollars above 2007’s $25,425,148