Six months since demolition of St. Martin’s Anglican Church

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — While it’s been half a year since St. Martin’s Anglican Church was demolished, there’s still no indication from the North Peace Savings and Credit Union on its design plan, for what is believed will be a new three story building on the site, adjacent to its current one.

Similarly there’s nothing new on a projected construction time line or city building permit application.

However, the city is off to a slow start in construction this year as compared to last year, and a credit union permit application would likely be very welcome at city hall.

Construction revenue for the city last month was only $6,000, just over 13 per cent of the 44,700 recorded in January of last year, and less than a quarter of the 28,300 posted in 2014.

The January building inspection report released earlier this month also showed 12 permits were issued last month as compared to only nine in January of the 2015.

However, the total value of January construction this year was only $1.1 million dollars, as compared to $8.9 million last year — when two permits valued at about $2 million and $4 million, respectively, were issued for an eight-plex on 96 Avenue — just east of 102 Street, and a south end shop and office complex, on 89A Street.

As reported earlier, the credit union has inherited responsibility for the grave yard on the former church site, and has already gone on record as prepared to enhance how the graves will be presented and maintained.

Whether or not that has factored into the construction time table is unclear, but given its recent local building numbers history, February could provide us with the answer; since it was just five years ago that the $270 million February permit for the new hospital was issued, and became the catalyst for the cities all time calendar year construction value record, of $338.8 million.