New Construction Permits Up in Midtown

The number of new, single-family housing permits issued in Midtown is on the rise, according to a Patch review of building permits issued by the city of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development.

And the number of permits issued for renovations and additions in the community has also grown in 2011, though at a more modest pace.

From January through September 2011, a total of 53 new residential building permits were issued in the Midtown zip codes of 30308, 30309, 30318 and 30363. That's a little more than double the number issued during the same period last year, when 25 new building permits were issued.

The first three quarters of 2011 saw 138 permits approved for renovations and additions to single family homes. During the same period last year, 114 permits were issued for renovations and additions.

“These numbers tell me that people are staying in their homes,” said department Commissioner James Shelby. “They don’t believe the economy is strong enough to support them moving into other homes or relocating.”

According to the department, renovations and additions can include anything from adding an additional story onto a residence or finishing out a basement to adding a new roof or installing an outdoor deck. 

Demolishing an existing home and building a new one on the same lot is classified as a demolition. That category is not included in these figures.

Shelby said Atlanta’s overall housing market will take another three to four years “to get back to where we once were.”

But , president and CEO of the Midtown Alliance, sees “tremendous opportunities ahead.

“The residential housing market is indeed gaining traction in Midtown, despite a weak regional housing market,” Green said. “Residential building permits continue to grow. There’s a growing constituency of people want to ‘be there’ versus ‘get there.’ All of these trends mean that more residents will continue to fuel what is now one of the best urban experiences in the Southeast.”

Other findings include:

• More permits have been issued in Midtown’s 30318 zip code during the first three quarters of 2011 than the other three zip codes combined. That includes 43 new residential permits. A total of 22 were given out in the 30318 zip code in the same period in 2010.

• The 30308 zip code has seen the fewest number of permits issued, both for new residential and renovations/additions. Only three new residential permits have been issued so far in 2011, while none were issued over the same time frame last year. Ten renovation/addition permits have been issued from January-September 2011, while 12 were issued during the same period last year.