Construction activity in Oshawa on record pace; June numbers up 30% from 2023

It’s still boom times in construction activity in Oshawa, with June industrial and institutional numbers in particular well ahead of last year and year-to-date construction values 30 per cent ahead of 2023 totals.

Oshawa issued $46,557,600 in total construction value last month, led by $18.8 million in governmental/institutional projects, $13.4 million in residential and $10 million in industrial work. There was also nearly $4.3 million in commercial construction value.

The push to build more homes to meet demand (and pledges to the provincial government) has not led to a major residential building explosion so far this year, however, with the June 2024 numbers less than a third of the 2023 June totals of more than $41.4 million.

The honour of the highest residential total in June in the past half-dozen years goes to 2018 when a whopping $96,702,800 in residential construction value was recorded.

The six-year high for June in commercial happened last year ($18,239,500). For industrial it was 2020 ($62,930,400) and for governmental/institutional it was 2022 ($102,807,500).

Oshawa issued 108 building permits last month, with major projects including the new Rotary Pool, an industrial alteration at 1600 Thornton Road, a new commercial building on Thoroughbred Street and a new apartment building on Albert Street.

Oshawa set 18 new building records last year, including:

• highest total industrial construction value issued in any one month ($119-plus million in October, surpassing the record of $11 million from 1995)
• highest total construction value issued in October ($143-plus million, more than double the $61 million set in 2011)
• highest total commercial construction value issued in April ($15-plus million, surpassing the old record of $9 million set in 2005)

In 2023, the City issued 1,530 permits for a total of $639.45 million in construction value and this year is shaping up to another record-breaker.

January-to-June numbers are already at $185.9 million, ahead of last year’s first six months total of $129 million.

The six-month record (since 2018) is 2022, when $378.2 million in construction value was declared. That year also set the six-year watermark for the entire year, with $762.1 million in construction value.

Northwoods Business Park

Tito-Dante Marimpietri, the City’s Economic and Development Services Committee Chair, said the numbers tell the story of Oshawa’s progress as a  community that is gaining the attention of industry-leading companies.

“Major commercial and industrial companies are making significant investments in our city and they are bringing thousands of high quality jobs,” he said, adding that the economic development team “continues to be one of the most active in successfully securing blue chip investment” to the city.

“In comparison to many similar GTA municipalities, Oshawa construction permits are over 30 per cent higher than this time last year, with the industrial sector leading the way.”

“The team works hard to realize so many transformative projects many of which involving global giants all of which are helping to reposition our city as an economic powerhouse.”

Oshawa has kept yearly building permit values since 1963 and monthly statistics since 1965.

Rotary Pool and park project