Home Builder Looks To Increased Construction in 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012 @ 4:17 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The head of a Prince George home construction company says 2012 should see an increase in local house construction over last year.
Allan Creuzot, President of Creuzot Homes and Construction Ltd., says he’s already noticed housing start activity due largely to a much better spring than what we had in 2011. He says “there a lot more optimism out there right now. You know obviously its cautious optimism but the builders are taking a look at things maybe in a little bit different perspective than what they have been in the last couple of years.”
Creuzot says the construction industry is a “huge economic factor” when looking at a city’s vibrancy. “Tell me another industry that is in every single town, city, hamlet, whatever, village, there is always construction going on. It is a huge indicator as to how the economy is doing. Lead economists everywhere take a look at how the construction industry is going to factor in, how it’s going to do, when they start analyzing what’s going to happen in yearly predictions.”
Creuzot says “we employ a ton of people in all construction and what people don’t understand, you know they drive by and see a framer up there or the electricians on site or plumbers but what about all the suppliers, the wholesalers, manufacturers? Without the construction industry going there’s a ton of jobs out there, a domino effect, that just simply aren’t there.”
Creuzot says the “action” in Prince George right now includes the Creekside sub-division at the bottom of Malaspina, University Heights and Tyner Ridge. He adds there are a couple of other small developments that are getting going and will likely be ready in the fall. And Creuzot says “if we get the influx of people that we’re all hoping, and the economy in Prince George and area starts to boom the way that all indications look like, I don’t know if Prince George is ready. There’s not a lot of developed parcels out there. We might have a year’s supply but we’ve got to get some more developed land out there.”
On a final note, Creuzot says “our housing is so affordable when you compare it to other places. It’s an excellent buy when you consider what you get for the price compared to other areas. It’s an awesome buy.”
Comments
A $500,000 house on a postage stamp lot is a good buy?? Compared to Vancouver maybe…..
Considering the report on the forest industry and the availability of timber, I wonder where this influx of people will come from, and what they will do.
I can see growth in Dawson Creek, Ft St John, Grande Prairie, and Ft McMurray, also West in Kitimat, Terrace, and to a degree Pr Rupert, and up Highway 37, however I dont see any growth taking place in Prince George.
The new mine opening up at Mt Milligan will only replace the Kemess mine that shut down last year, so no actual growth there.
Pr George has been ready for a boom since the 70’s. Thats why we have Foothills running from Chief Lake Road to Tyner. I suppose thats why we expanded the Airport Runway. However the **boom** never came.
We need to expand our population from 71000 to 81000 just to get back to where we were 10/15 years ago.
Growth industry in Prince George at present is Senior’s retiring, low income people moving in from the outlying areas to take advantage of the amenitities, and cheap rent in Pr George.
Comparing our prices to other places only works if we have good paying jobs for people who move here. Do we???
How about some one level condo’s. Oh wait then the builder would have to get into strata’s and such. That would take effort.
The university has brought lots of good paying secure jobs, as has TELUS, the pulp mills are replacing their retirees, the retirees stay in town, the mount milligan workers stay here, shop here. There are a lot more positives than negatives. The airport will end up growing, just a matter of when. Servicing the mines is done from Prince George, look at all of the help wanted signs up. The cancer clinic will create even more well paying jobs. It’s just a matter of perspective!
They don’t build one level ranchers anymore the building lots only allow for three or four level towers full of stairs that seniors love climbing! Someone must have forgotten to inform the builders we have Boomers coming into retirement…are the houses your building suitable! I think not.
Those houses on the upper end of St. Lawrence will be a tough sell to any senior wanting to retire here. Just don’t fall. Call now! Call now!
The University has been here since 1993, maybe its time we stopped using it as an example of growth and jobs. They have not had an increase in Undergradute FTE enrolments, since 2002, and in fact have declined in 2010-2011.
Telus had huge lay offs in the 80’s and 90’s, and now has re-established some jobs here.
The pulp mills may be replacing their retirees now, however they have down sized over 800 jobs over the past 20 years. Same for CN Rail.
Some Mount Milligan workers stay here, some in Ft St James, and some in MacKenzie.
The Airport has not grown in years. In fact it handles about the same amount of traffic it did in the sixties and seventies. The runway expansion is a **bust**. When was the last time you heard anything about planes coming to Pr George?????
The Cancer clinic will in fact create some jobs, especially in the radiation department.
So much for perspective. Where are the full time jobs coming from that would pay sufficient for people to buy a home and stay here??
Pretty well everyone working at the various malls, ie; thousands of workers are lucky if they get $12 an hour, and 20 hours a week. They have to work two jobs just to keep their heads above water.
Thousands of people in this town are Seniors on limited incomes, and low income people, or those on some sort of assistance. They will not be buying any houses. Take out those who already own their homes, and you dont have much left to have a healthy construction industry.
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