Capital District Regional Planning Commission

The Capital District Regional Planning Commission has just published its third issue of Capital District Data for 1997, containing its annual report on last year's residential building permit issuances for all of the municipalities in the Region.

Total private residential building permits in the Capital District declined by 0.8% between 1995 and 1996, following a 24.6% decline between 1994 and 1995. The number of units for which permits were issued, however, rose 2.4%, following a 13.8% decline in 1995; while the total 1996 constant dollar value of residential construction for which permits were issued declined 0.2%, following a 21.6% decline in 1995.

The total constant-dollar value of 1996 residential permits was the lowest since 1983 and the number of permits was the lowest since 1982. While the number of units were up, 1996 still represented the second lowest unit value since 1982.

For Albany County, the Town of Colonie had the largest number of residential permits issued (143) with the highest total permit value ($18.2 million), while the City of Cohoes issued permits for the largest number of units in 1996 (179).

In Rensselaer County, the Town of East Greenbush issued the largest number of permits (58), while the City of Troy issued permits for the largest number of units (132), and the Town of North Greenbush issued permits with the highest total permit value ($7.7 million).

The Town of Clifton Park had the largest number of residential permits issued (140) in Saratoga County, with the highest total permit value ($19.0 million), while the Town of Halfmoon issued permits for the largest number of residential units (223).

Finally, in Schenectady County, the Town of Niskayuna had the largest number of residential permits issued (47) with the highest total permit value ($7.0 million), while the City of Schenectady issued permits for the largest number of residential units (72).

Portions of the residential building permit data are available on CDRPC's Web site at Capital District Residential Building Permits. Additional information on homes sales is available in the Commission's 56-page publication, 1997 Economic Outlook for the Capital District.

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