Mill expansion boosts January building stats

Building activity in the township is off to a strong start this year thanks to major industrial and commercial construction projects.

The Mapleton building department issued permits for $12,847,000 worth of construction in January, a huge increase over January 2014, when permits for construction valued at $1,672,500 were issued.

The January permits generated just over $33,000 worth of fees for the township last month, compared to about $7,500 in the same period last year.

Chief building official Patty Wright told council on Feb. 10 that a major industrial construction project was responsible for the bulk of the increase. “Another large commercial project started in Drayton as well in January … so our numbers  are  good,” said Wright.

CAO Patty Sinnamon told the Wellington Advertiser in an email the spike in industrial construction was due to a $9.8 million expansion at Wallenstein Feed and Supply. The company is adding a fourth mill, putting an addition on another mill, adding to a broiler house and building three silos.

Building figures were also boosted by permits for commercial construction valued at $2.6 million last month.

“Things are definitely busy in Mapleton,” Sinnamon commented.