Building momentum

Photo by: Heather Coit/The News-Gazette

The expanded portion of Kraft's building at 710 N. Mattis Ave is seen in Champaign on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014.

Last year proved a strong one for construction in the Champaign-Urbana area, with the two cities issuing building permits for $170 million of work.

That was a 12 percent bump-up from 2012, when the two cities gave the go-ahead to $152 million in projects.

Champaign had the lion's share of the work last year, with $140 million in projects, compared with Urbana's $30 million.

Champaign's figures were boosted by two immense jobs the $22.4 million Hyatt Place hotel at Church and Neil streets downtown and the $16.6 million warehouse for Kraft Foods Group on North Mattis Avenue.

In 2012, the city issued permits for $114 million worth of work.

Urbana's totals for 2013 were lower than those of 2012, when the city had $38 million in projects. Last year's projects included a lot of commercial remodeling, said John Schneider, the city's building safety division manager.

Already, 2014 is shaping up as a promising year for construction.

Larry Happ, building safety supervisor for the Champaign Fire Department, said he can foresee $125 million in construction in 2014, just from five projects in the works. Those include:

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Building momentum