Blue Springs Sees Boom in Building Permits

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — The swing of a hammer; the clank of a nail gun; the buzz of a saw – these sounds are music to the ears of area developers.

“I think people are a little bit more secure int heir jobs.  I think they’ve seen the low and I think people are a lot more  positive outlook right now,” said Randy Sallee of Sallee Homes.

Sallee has bought lots for the last two decades, his recent purchase inside the Eagle’s Ridge subdivision went a little differently.  Instead of buying the lots from the original owners, Sallee purchased the land from banks that got stuck with it after the previous builders went belly up.

Scott Allen with the City of Blue Springs said new builders picking up where others left off is becoming commonplace. Allen’s office issued 539 building permits in 2011, the highest number since 2006.

“We’re seeing a number of those vacant projects that have been laying fallow for the last couple of years, showing a lot more interest from local developers,” said Allen.  “It’s not just the fast and furious financing that we saw pre-recession, where folks are taking down hundreds of acres at once, trying to sell the whole works and make a quick buck and leave town; that’s not happening anymore.  It’s builders that are making a true investment one building at a time.”

Which could be a positive economic outlook for all of Blue Springs, not just the area currently under construction.

“The more rooftops we have, the more need for that retail,” Sallee said. “If we can build the houses and get the housing market going, then the retail typically will follow.”

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