Building permit reports published by the city of Oxford point to a recovering economy, as the number of building permits more than tripled and commercial permits doubled from 2011 to 2012.
Year-end reports published by the city of Oxford indicate that the city issued 224 building permits for the construction of single-family homes in 2012, which is more than three times the 61 issued in 2011.
Randy Barber, Oxford building official, said the majority of construction permits being issued are for the building of student housing developments, such as The Retreat and The Highlands.
“There are cottages, some duplexes and fourplexes being built,” Barber said.
The construction of developments that transition away from the traditional apartment style has contributed to the swell of permits being issued because each individual cottage or freestanding unit qualifies as a single-family residence in the city’s accounting.
According to city documentation, the value of all single-family homes constructed in 2012 totaled roughly $25.8 million, compared to the $9.3 million in 2011.
This past year, the city made $136,909 in fees for permits issued for the construction of single-family homes. In 2011, $42,623 was collected for the same purpose.
“The Fleur de Lis off Old Taylor Road recently finished its construction, the Hub is going up on Anderson Road, some other single-family houses are going up on Anchorage Road and Keystone is adding several units,” Barber said.
Overall, commercial permits doubled from the number issued in 2011 to the total of 2,499 in 2012 and generated $563,769 in fees.
Vince Davis | The Daily Mississippian
Construction of the Grove Hill Student Housing on Molly Barr road
