THUNDER BAY — A hotel project is the biggest contributor to a strong start for new building activity in Thunder Bay in 2022.
To date, the City of Thunder Bay has issued building permits for projects worth $91 million, with others still on the horizon.
It's a 60 per cent increase over this point last year, when the value of approved building permits was only about $57 million.
During the entirety of 2020 – the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – only $78 million worth of projects were permitted.
This year's list of builds is led by the $22 million, six-storey, 90-unit Home2 Suites by Hilton.
It's being constructed on Arthur Street at Highway 61, next door to the Hampton Inn.
The new hotel is expected to open in 2023.
Another large project is a three-storey, 40-unit apartment building on Kingsway, valued at $12.5 million.
It's on the site of the former Fort Motel.
An aircraft hangar and office is also being constructed at Thunder Bay Airport for almost $4 million.
Among other notable projects, Home Hardware on Memorial Avenue is undergoing a $1.6 million expansion, and a foundation for a gymnasium addition at Matawa Education Centre on Lillie Street will cost $1.8 million.
At the Centennial Conservatory on Balmoral Street, a $740,000 greenhouse and annex are being built.
In the Intercity area, a strip mall worth $500,000 is under construction at Fort William Road and the Harbour Expressway, and two new commercial buildings are going up on Fort William Road across from Intercity Shopping Centre, one of which will be a Burger King outlet.
Work that's pending includes the Finnish Labour Temple on Bay Street where a $500,000 permit has already been issued for a multi-unit commercial/residential building with a projected total cost of $25 to $27 million.
Building Permits Issued To Date:
- 740 W. Arthur St. - six-storey, 90-unit Home2 Suites
- 627 Kingsway - three-storey, 40-unit apartment building
- 2063 Derek Burney Drive - aircraft hangar/office
- 905 Fort William Rd - shell for multi-tenant commercial building
- 907 Fort William Rd - shell for multi-tenant commercial building
- 825 Fort William Rd - one-storey strip mall
- 901 Memorial Ave - Home Hardware addition
- 361 Memorial Ave - Gore Motors showroom addition
- 314 Bay St - foundation for Finnish Labour Temple replacement
- 1235 Amber Dr - shell for office/warehouse
- 1601 Dease St - foundation for greenhouse/annex addition to Centennial Conservatory
- 300 Lillie St. N - foundation for gymnasium addition to Mawawa Education Centre
Permits Pending To Date:
- 951 Carrick St near Superstore - auto repair garage
- 1105 Arthur St W - foundation for multi-tenant commercial building
Over the previous four years, 2019 was the city's strongest year for new construction, with a total value of $157 million.
The figure plummeted in 2020 to $78 million before rebounding last year to $141 million.
