Original Reporting

Boise building permits hit five year high

Construction activity in the City of Boise hit its highest level in five years, according to the latest report from the city’s planning and development services team

“The total number of building permits has increased by 11% and is the highest in five years,” the report noted. “The total number of commercial building permits has also increased, by 22%, and is the highest in the last five years.”

While the number of issued permits is up, total value actually fell from May of 2018. That month saw a number of big-ticket items, including a $10.3 million senior living community, the $8.4 million Salvation Army campus and the Ash St. Townhomes.

May of 2019 saw permits for two Stor-It Self Storage buildings and a new apartment complex on Maple Grove, among others.

In a widely-cited piece on Boise from the Seattle Times in May, the author said “the market is hotter for places where people will do business, and cooler for places where people will live.” The report cited data from the City of Boise for January-April and painted a misleading picture of the situation. The commercial permit activity was driven in large part by $76-million in permits for St. Luke’s Health System issued in April alone.

Residential trends are hard to gauge on a quarter-by-quarter basis. In fact, residential activity in Boise grew in May by 13% from the prior year. The 2018 period was marked by permits for several large apartment complexes which have not or are just now opening to residents.

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Don Day - BoiseDev Editor & Founder
Don Day - BoiseDev Editor & Founder
Don is the founder and publisher of BoiseDev. He is a National Edward R. Murrow Award winner and a Stanford University John S. Knight Fellow. Contact him at [email protected]. His Twitter handle is @donlday

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