2018 construction projects up, overall value down in Cape; projects down, value up in Jackson

Construction in Cape Girardeau was down overall in calendar year 2018 over 2017, while Jackson’s construction activity was up slightly thanks in part to a justice center, new church building and new school district construction, according to recent year-end figures.

Jackson’s total construction value was just $5 million less than Cape Girardeau’s in 2018.

Cape Girardeau’s total construction values were estimated at about $48.5 million for 2018, with 229 permits issued, versus $83.6 million for 2017, with 205 permits issued, according to city information manager Nicolette Brennan.

Development services director Alex McElroy said some significant construction projects took place in 2017, which accounted for the difference of about $38.5 million. Cape Girardeau saw overall construction values of $33.4 million in 2015 and $105 million in 2016.

The Drury Plaza Hotel and Conference Center was one major project that pushed 2017 numbers, McElroy said.

Construction equipment is seen Thursday at the site of what will be the Cape Girardeau County Justice Center in uptown Jackson.TYLER GRAEF

That eight-story hotel has 168 rooms, and the conference center has a 14,000-square-foot main room.

Another project, Legends Cape Girardeau on North Sprigg Street, is a 591-bed property near Southeast Missouri State University, and serves as student housing, McElroy said.

Permit technician Dianna Barnes said the Drury Plaza Hotel’s project cost was $27 million, and the Legends complex was $24.9 million.

In 2018, Cape Girardeau had eight projects of $1 million or higher. Of those, three were health facilities; three were restaurant and/or entertainment; one was a church; and another was the apartment project.

Commercial remodels up

Commercial construction made up the bulk of the overall building totals for 2018 in Cape Girardeau, with new construction and remodels combining for $27 million of the $48.5 million total.

New commercial construction and additions were down to $8.1 million from 2017’s $16.7 million, but commercial remodels jumped from 51 permits valued at $16.8 million in 2017 to 71 permits totaling $19.3 million in 2018.

New apartments and townhouses in Cape Girardeau fell off in 2018, from 13 new permits each in 2017, totaling $29.2 million and $3.4 million, respectively, to eight permits for new apartments worth $4.8 million and only four for townhouses, totaling about $400,000.

Residential home starts and additions saw a small increase in 2018 over 2017, to 93 permits worth about $14.1 million, from 2017’s 89 permits worth about $16.5 million.

Cape Girardeau’s top five construction permits issued in 2018 were:

• Cardiac Pavilion renovation at SoutheastHEALTH, 1701 Lacey St. — $3.5 million
• Single-story addition to Cape First Assembly Church, 254 S. Silver Springs Road — $3.1 million
• Two-story apartment building with basement at 23 S. Ellis St. — $2 million
• Interior and exterior remodel of Marcus Cape West 14 Cine, 247 Siemers Drive — $2 million
• SoutheastHEALTH west campus remodel, 817 S. Mount Auburn Road — $1.8 million

McElroy said as far as 2019’s outlook is concerned, initiatives including Transportation Trust Fund (TTF 5) and the parks, recreation and stormwater 2 sales tax will provide millions of dollars for transportation infrastructure, park systems and stormwater projects.

The Jan. 22 Cape Girardeau city council meeting will include a draft capital improvement plan with proposed projects for 2019 through 2024, McElroy added.

Jackson

In Jackson, total construction values for 2018 were up by approximately $3 million, at $43,649,490 compared to 2017’s $40,549,247, according to a Jan. 7 memo from building and planning manager Janet Sanders.

That figure includes residential and commercial projects, both new construction and remodels, and values are calculated using a standard formula, rather than the contractor’s estimate, Sanders’ memo noted.

Jackson’s top five construction permits issued in 2018 were:

• Phase 1 of the new Cape Girardeau County Justice Center on U.S. 61, adjacent to the existing sheriff’s office and courthouse. While the entire cost of the project hasn’t been expended yet, and the project’s permits were issued in phases, the total project cost was included in 2018, according to the memo.
• New Connection Point Church at 358 E. Deerwood Drive — $6.5 million
• Addition and remodel of West Lane Elementary at 338 N. West Lane — $4.1 million
• New 26-unit apartment building at 1653 W. Independence St. — $2.2 million
• New Dexter Bar-B-Que restaurant at 2305 E. Jackson Blvd. — $700,000

New single-family home starts dropped, in 2018 totaling 31 valued at approximately $5.8 million, compared to 45 in 2017, valued at about $7.2 million.

The average new home construction value for 2018 is $189,694, however. That’s up from 2017’s $165,662.

Residential remodeling projects totaled 30 for 2018, at a value of about $688,000, compared to 47 projects in 2017 valued at about $1.03 million.

Commercial remodels and additions were fairly consistent, according to the memo, with 20 projects totaling $5.1 million, compared to 12 projects totaling $7.5 million in 2017.

New commercial construction value was up, with five new buildings started in 2018. Total calculated value is $25.8 million. In 2017, six new commercial buildings were started, with a total value of $22.5 million.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630