Whitby announces a record billion dollars in building investment in 2021
Published December 14, 2021 at 12:56 pm
Whitby has declared a record-breaking year for investment in the town with more than $1 billion in construction value being poured into its neighbourhoods between 2,687 building permits.
Most of the investment, about two-thirds, comes from residential building. The town will see more than $800 million dollars of investment in its housing sector indicating, per the news release, that “Whitby continues to be a community of choice for new residents.”
The announcement cites the Town’s 2020 Community Survey which found 86 per cent of Whitby residents enjoy a good or excellent quality of life.
This rate fell to 75 per cent in 2021, seen in the town’s 2022 budget consultation, with the latest survey finding Whitby’s residents remained overall happy with services, but were increasingly concerned with high property taxes. Council recently approved a $40 increase in property tax per household, per year amid a major staffing shortfall.
However the town says this high rate of satisfaction combined with 3.8 per cent job growth are “significant contributors” to this year’s record-breaking construction value.
In addition to the residential permits, Whitby approved $149 million in industrial projects and $71 million in commercial construction
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Major projects include:
- Renovating Fire Station No. 3 into a mixed-use development
- Building the Whitby Health Centre, an expansion of the Oshawa Clinic group set to open in 2024
- building Fieldgate Commercial’s mixed-use development that will feature a grocery store
- developing Broccolini, a nearly 700,000 square foot warehouse on Gerrard Road, and
- expanding Atlantic Packaging to include a new paper mill
These expansion plans exceed targets set by the Province. The developments are coming as Durham Region as a whole and Whitby in particular is are expected to nearly in population over the next two decades.
In 2016, the Region’s population was about 675,000 people and estimates peg the population at 1.2 million by 2041.
Durham municipalities are all seeing strong investment growth, with Ajax May Shaun Collier reporting similar investment numbers in his recent Live with the Mayor town hall.
“This record construction value represents a strong local economy and Whitby as a community of choice for both residents and businesses,” said Mayor Don Mitchell.
“Despite the global pandemic, our Town continues to excel in economic growth, with community-building projects being approved and realized in our Town each year, he continued, “It’s clear that Whitby is a great place to live, invest and grow.”
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