The Cardinal Court apartments opened on the ISU campus this year with 896 new beds. (Stephanie Pawlowski/WJBC)

By Stephanie Pawlowski

NORMAL - It looks like Normal is permitting more developments- including single family homes, apartments and commercial buildings- but Inspections Director Greg Troemel said the figures aren't close to those of ten years ago.

So far this year, 844 projects have been permitted, compared to a total of 765 last year.

"From a financial perspective, our inspections department generally operates around 60 percent based on the permit fees that we take in based on what it costs to operate the department. So, 60, 65, 70 percent is a good year for us, and we're not operating on that right now," Troemel said.

So far this year, 641 homes have been remodeled, compared to 554 last year and 59 new one and two family homes have been built compared to 39 last year.

"Single family is up 15 to 20 percent over last year which is good, but is nothing compared to the 2000 decade when we were doing 250 houses a year," Troemel said. "Sixty (new homes) in three-quarters of the way through the year isn't a whole lot to brag about, but it's better than last year."

The major increase has been in apartment developments, the majority of which resulted in the decommissioning of several Illinois State University dorms. Significant developments this year include the Cardinal Court apartments, the Lodge on Willow, the second phase of the Flats on Osage, Patriot Station on Hester, the Sigma Phi rebuild, apartments on Kingsley and the Healing Stone Court apartments.

Cardinal Court opened with 896 new beds. The other developments together have created 576 new beds. Troemel said he thinks those developments are starting to level off.

"The big spike that we've seen these last three or four years, I think we've see the top of it and I think things will kind of even out," Troemel said.

As for commercial construction, numbers are nearly stagnant. New commercial permits have gone from two last year to four this year, and commercial remodel was 54 last year and 45 this year.

Stephanie Pawlowski can be reached at Stephanie.Pawlowski@Cumulus.com