City of Poplar Bluff sees increase in construction

Three years after the city of Poplar Bluff saw construction of only a single new residential structure, a new subdivision is planned for Barron Road and development has started of a vacant lot on Main Street.

Despite slow growth in recent years, the total value of all residential housing inside the city limits has grown by nearly 75% over the past 18 years, from less than $243 million in 2000 to just over $422 million last year, according to city audit documents.

Investments in residential property from both new construction and renovations also reached a five-year high in 2018.

“We have in the last couple of years seen an increase in new home construction. We are also seeing a nice number of remodeling permits,” said city planner Matt Winters. “I think it’s a sign of the growth and prosperity that the city is seeing from new businesses coming to town, more people wanting to locate in the area and people wanting the amenities that are available from living inside the city limits.”

Residential construction permits, which are single-family homes, duplexes and apartment buildings, included nine properties in 2018, according to documents recently discussed by the city council. That number stood at one in 2016.

The number of permits issued for residential construction or renovations reached 240 in 2018, nearly double the 127 seen a year earlier. Approximately $2.3 million was invested in residential properties in 2018, a five-year high. Just over $1.3 million was seen in 2017.

Brookstone Subdivision, under construction now on Barron Road, could contain up to a dozen homes built over time, Winters said.

A vacant lot at Main and Nooney streets has also been divided for four new single-family homes. Construction on those is expected to happen quickly.

Other individuals have purchased properties on North 10th Street and the south side of Poplar Bluff with plans to add residential homes, Winters explained.

Some of the areas where work is being done have included the removal of burned or dilapidated properties, further improving the neighborhoods, he said.

The city has had five new residential building permits requested so far in 2019.

The total value of residential property in the city limits was just over $422 million in 2018, according to a city audit. It saw growth of about $680,000 over the previous year.

Property taxes, which include commercial property, generate about $1.4 million of the city’s $19.5 million in annual general fund revenues.