Three new houses boost June building permits

Three new single-family dwellings and a house addition were the driving force in a surge of building permits which boosted the June total to well over $700,000.

The list of 19 building permits issued last month at Aurora City Hall added up to $715,672, a strong showing in comparison with previous June totals, especially during a summer with COVID-driven uncertainties. This year’s June tally was far more than last year’s $474,335 as well as the 2018 sum of $661,040.

Three new single-family dwellings were responsible for a bulk of this month’s total. Arrowhead Construction is building two new homes on Cottage Park Drive in the Streeter 1st Subdivision. The other new house already under construction is Eric Melcher’s home on M Street adjacent to Poco Creek Golf Course.

The three new housing projects brings the total of new single-family dwellings to five thus far in 2020. That compares to three last year and six at the half-way mark of 2018.

The 2020 June total is the highest since 2017, when the Aurora Development Corporation launched a 10-unit housing project in the Streeter 2nd Subdivision, which bumped the month’s total to $1.1 million. Other June totals for the past decade were listed at $369,400 in 2016; $929,700 in 2015; $1,359,949 in 2014; $393,342 in 2013; $226,500 in 2012; and $323,406 in 2011.

The June total brings the total through six months of 2020 to $4,659,262. That’s more than double the 2019 pace of $1,868,630, and well above 2018’s $3,115,770 total.

The largest permit issued so far this year is the Aurora Middle School’s $1.19 million building renovation, with another related permit for the high school entrance adding $898,231 to the total.

The third largest permit issued thus far this year was for a new Runza restaurant listed at $800,000. Demolition work on that project began this week, with a new restaurant expected to open on the same Highway 34 site in November.

June building permits

Ray and Linda Simmons, 1411 N St., fence, $1,500; Dan Ziegler, 1810 G St., fence, $1,500; MILCO Environmental, 1102 13th St., groundwater monitoring, no value listed; Jim Clarke, 1320 16th St., fireworks stand, no value listed; Rich Ludvik, 1609 Q St., fireworks stand, no value listed; Edgerton Explorit Center, 208 16th St., fireworks stand, no value listed; James and Twyla Martin, 1524 Beechwood Dr., accessory building, $35,000; Matthew Kiner, 835 Terrie Road, house addition, $70,000; Bonita Forsman, 1120 1st St., fence, $1,000; Rick Schmidt, 204 S 13th St., fence, $550; Nathaniel Friesen, 417 W L St., driveway, $6,900; Joey and Courtney Nelson, 912 15th St., fence, $4,000; Mark Schutt, 734 Matson St., storage shed, $2,026; Phillip Wiles, 715 13th St., fence, $5,196; Arrowhead Construction, 326 Cottage Park Dr., single-family dwelling, $175,000; Arrowhead Construction, 401 Cottage Park Dr., single-family dwelling, $175,000; Michael and Debra Salmon, 1310 9th St., fence, $3,000; Amber Salmon, 204 N St., fence, no value listed; Eric Melcher, 2022 M St., single-family dwelling, $235,000.

BUILDING PERMITS

June totals

■ 2020 -- $715,672

■ 2019 -- $474,335

■ 2018 -- $661,040

Year to date

■ 2020 -- $4,659,262

■ 2019 -- $1,868,630

■ 2018 -- $3,115,770

Houses

■ 2020 -- 5

■ 2019 -- 3