Things are looking up when it comes to new construction in the town of Essex.
A report is set to go before town council Monday night that shows building permits have spiked to 52 for the month of May — that's compared to 71 total from January to April of this year.
Ward 3 Councillor Chris Vander Doelen says tit's a sigh of thing to come with several new projects coming to council in June.
"We've been very pro-active in approving housing proposals that have come to us," he says. "Apartments, multi-residential, duplexes and single family homes; we're doing what we can to make sure shovels get in the ground."
Vander Doelen says council has also been working closely with developers and they've responded.
He's certain numbers will continue to climb.
"I can't see what more we can do. I think we're on the right track and it's going pay off for us this year."
According to the report, residential sale averages have levelled off in Wards 1 and 2 for this time last year, but have doubled from $262,000 to $400,000 in Wards 3 and 4.
Vander Doelen says increased property values are a "double-edged sword" that put a bigger emphasis on the need for affordable housing.
"It's good if you're just passing on a home to a loved one, but it's bad if you're trying to get into the market. The entry level just doubled, so that's terrible for young people or for people just buying their first home," he added.
The report also shows construction value for May has nearly doubled to $5.5-million this year.