Joliet set records for single-family housing starts and building permits in 2000, city officials said.
Builders started construction on 1,256 single-family homes, breaking the 1999 record of 1,232, said city spokesman Kevin Hegarty.
Joliet, which has approved the creation of nearly 100 subdivisions since 1990, also had more than 1,000 housing starts in 1996 and 1998.
The city issued a total of 3,765 building permits last year, breaking a record of 3,700 set in 1990, Hegarty said. The city issued 702 permits for home repairs and 260 permits for multifamily units, in addition to commercial construction.
“It is another good year for the city, and I think it exhibits a confidence in the city and the location,” said James Haller, director of community and economic development.
The housing-start total has nearly doubled since 1994, when 631 homes were built, Hegarty said. In 1982, when Joliet struggled because of a national recession, only 16 new homes were built, he said.
Last summer, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission reported that Joliet, with 92,285 residents in 1998, was among the 10 fastest-growing towns in the Chicago area. About 7,600 homes were built in Joliet in the 1990s.
The estimated value of all construction in Joliet totaled $261 million in 2000, Hegarty said. Two big projects are included in that total: Harrah’s Casino’s launching of a $70 million expansion project and continuing construction of the $100 million Chicagoland Speedway, which is to open in July.
Although there is concern among national leaders about the state of the economy, Haller said he thinks Joliet’s building boom will continue.
“There will be a continuation of good housing starts, assuming that mortgage lending rates stay competitive,” Haller said. “When there have been downturns in the economy in the last 12 years, we still remained healthy, only because we’re filling a niche with affordable, value housing.
“Usually that type of housing is a little bit more resilient than the $1 million houses. Because of the market niche that we serve, I think we should be all right.”
