$519 million in construction value a clear indicator of continued momentum in Cambridge

The City of Cambridge has officially surpassed over $500 million worth of construction value from building permits issued in 2021—representing a 101% increase over 2020 and the first time the City has reached this milestone.

As one of the fastest growing areas in the country, these results are a clear indicator of the demand for construction activity in Cambridge.

This achievement represents building projects in the residential, institutional, commercial and industrial sectors, including 1,739 building permits issued for homeowner renovation projects, upgrades to businesses, new commercial, industrial buildings and residential housing units. The increase can be attributed in part to projects that were delayed during the initial pandemic shutdowns.

“Construction and development at this level means we continue to grow as an incredible place to live, work and play. This helps us build community by adding job opportunities, amenities and housing for the future,” said Mayor Kathryn McGarry. “Beyond that, it shows we’re economically well suited to recover from COVID-19. There is so much potential here. Thank you to team Cambridge for a commitment to City building and prosperous future.”

As a key action in the City’s Strategic Plan–Cambridge Connected, the City continues to look for ways to increase housing options. This is evidenced by the substantial rise in new residential building permits issued in 2021. This segment alone accounted for 1,179 permits in comparison to 373 in 2020 and the average over the previous 5 years of 649. This is an 82% increase over the previous five-year average.

The Cambridge 2021 housing trends further illustrate the City’s goal of creating housing through efficient land use. Row houses, apartments and additional dwelling units accounted for 93% of the total new units with single detached homes making up only 7%. This is reduced from the previous five-year average where single detached homes were 33% of the total number of new units.

“What we are seeing with the changing demographics of the new housing is an alignment with the goal of sustainable growth, supporting our active transportation links and continued focus on creating welcoming neighbourhoods,” shared Hardy Bromberg, Deputy City Manager of Community Development. “I’d like to thank the building team for the great job in meeting the demands that come from such considerable growth.”

The City of Cambridge also saw major investments in the commercial and industrial sectors as 25 permits were issued with a construction value of over $1 million. It is anticipated that over the next year the City will realize a range of key development projects including:

• Frito Lay expansion – 1001 Bishop Street North
• Angstrom Engineering – 160 Boychuk Road
• Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus – 25 Reuter Drive

For more details, please read the building permit statistics report.

Quick facts

The Building Division manages building permit applications for the City and ensures building plans meet the rules and regulations of:

• The Ontario Building Code
• City by-laws
• City Engineering Standards (within private property)
• Design Guidelines and Supplemental Specification for Municipal Services (within private property)
  
  

-30-

Additional Resources

For more information about the City’s strategic actions, review the Cambridge Connected Strategic Plan document. 

Media Contact:
Rachel Ajamzadeh
Communications Advisor
City of Cambridge
ajamzadehr@cambridge.ca