-ommercial project st

47 ~ Friday, August 7, 1987 -

North Shore News

arts

continue to rise nationaliy

From page 44 mercial projects started in the Jatest quarter have been: a distribution centre for Zellers in Pointe-Claire, Quebec; an office building as part of the Purdy’s Wharf, phase JI develop- ment in Halifax; the Hotel Markham in Markham, On- tario; and the Chinatown Centre in Toronto.

In general terms, com- mercial strength this year has come more from. store/ shopping centre construction than office buildings.

Last year in Alberta, ma- jor office building projects were Started despite the pro- blems in the oil patch. This year, the office building market in the province has

vied up, but there has been considerable activity in shopping centre construc- tion.

There have been starts on: the Millwoods Town shopp- ing centre in Edmonton; the Market Mall addition and alterations, Calgary; and Park Place shopping centre in Lethbridge.

Office building starts in Montreal this year have trailed their pace of last year but starts in Toronto con- tinue to forge ahead, Win- nipeg's office building starts

in the first half of 1987 have declined because last year’s first half included Portage Place work.

1987 institutional con- struction starts so far have declined 12 per cent in square footage from 11.7 million to 10.3 million and fallen 6 per cent in dollar volume from $1.3 billion to $1.2. billion. The regional changes in value have been: the Atlantic -16 per cent; Quebec +15 per cent; On- tario +36 per cent; Manitoba +14 per cent; Saskatchewan -72 per cent; Alberta -56 per cent; and British Columbia +29 per cent.

In the institutional catego- ry, there are many plans for hospital construction across the country. Unfortunately,

finances have become a stumbling block in some regions.

This is particularly the

case in the west where low oil and grain prices in the past year have reduced the revenues flowing to gov- ernment. The Alberta and Saskatchewan governments have announced postpone- ments of their spending on institutional projects, resulting in the big drops in volume shown in the

statistics above.

The province where such work continues to move ahead is Ontario, followed by British Columbia and Quebec.

So far this year, Quebec has performed well in starts on medical facilities and On- tario and British Columbia in starts on educational fa- cilities. The largest institu- tional project to start in the last quarter, however, was the East General Hospital addition in Toronto.

More such projects are just now getting underway in Ontario, such as the Markham-Stouffville Hospi- tal and the Freeport Hospital expansion in Kingston. The Ontario government made a major long-term commit- ment to hospital construc- tion in last year’s budget.

INDUSTRIAL

{ndustrial starts have re- corded a dramatic increase. {n square footage, they have climbed 39 per cent to 22.2

- million versus 16.0 million

last year.

The gain in dollar value has been 30 per cent to $1.1 billion from $0.8 billion. Regionally, the changes in dollar volume have been: the

‘The amount of expertise varies in inverse pro- portion to the number of statements understood by the general public.’

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Atlantic +100 per cent; Quebec +106 per cent; On- tario +17 per cent; Manitoba +86 per cent; Saskatchewan +209 per cent; Alberta -24 per cent; and British Columbia + 17 per cent.

Until lately in this cycle, industrial construction has been driven by work on automobile assembly plants and auto parts plants. There are now indications that in- dustrial construction § is becoming more broadly bas- ed.

Capacity utilization rates in manufacturing have re- mained fairly selid around 80 per cent with even a slight upward trend. Some tesource prices have been on the upswing. The largest in- dustrial projects to start in the latest quarter have been: a manufacturing plant for Cariton Cards Ltd. in Brampton, Ontario, and a pulp and paper project for Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd.

in Prince Albert, Saskat- chewan. ENGINEERING

Statistics on engineering jobs are recorded cnly in dollars and not square feet. The value of engineering

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starts in the first half, 1987, fell 8 per cent to $2.3 billion from $2.5 billion.

Regionally, the picture has been: the Atlantic +54 per cent; Quebec -10 per cent; Ontario +15 per cent; Manitoba -19 per cent; Saskatchewan + 33 per cent; Alberta -23 per cent; and British Columbia -51 per cent.

The performance in some of the engineering sub- categories ure recorded below. Some of these areas of construction have also suffered from government spending constraints in some provinces. Nationwide, roadwork construction has increased 5 per cent to $989 million from $939 million.

Bridge construction starts have increased 4 per cent to $105 million from $100 mil- lion. Waterworks and sewer construction has fallen 22 per cent to $436 million from $562 million. Starts on electric power projects have declined 11 per cent to $157 million from $177 million.

Last year, oil and gas pro- jects within the engineering category had a disastrous re- cord. At the mid-point of 1987, the oil and gas catego- ry has shown a further decline of 21 per cent to

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$386 million from $486 mil- lion. There are reasons to believe that this situation will soon turn around. There are government incentives to the industry; OPEC has managed to firm up prices; and there have been an- nouncements of major spending plans for some Western Canadian energy projects.

Two of the largest engineering jobs to start in 1987 have been the New Grade Energy Inc. heavy oil upgrading plant in Regina and Bell Canada’s start on laying fibre optic cable across the country.

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