Saint Marys reports $33 million in construction value for 2024, led by industrial and commercial projects

Matt, the city’s building-permit presenter, told the Saint Marys City Council on Jan. 20 that 2024 was an “outstanding year” for construction value in the city.

“In 2024, our residential building permits were about $4,000,000. Our commercial [value] a little over $13,000,000 and industrial, we had almost $16,000,000 in construction,” Matt said, and listed several large projects that contributed to the total.

The presenter identified several notable projects that drove the year’s total: the SGL Carbon project, the Mersenne project, an eye clinic on the highway, the Dickinson Center and renovations at a Sheetz store. Matt said many other projects were in the “half‑million” range.

Matt described the city’s long-term permit-value pattern as roughly $10 million per year on average, with some high‑value “anomaly” years. He compared 2024’s $33 million to prior big years: about $22 million in 2017 (when the Catalyst building and the Saint Marys Lumber project were built) and about $20 million in 2011. He also noted low years during the Great Recession and the COVID period when totals fell near $4 million.

The council asked about permit fees and how construction costs are tracked. Matt said the city records the initial cost declared on the permit application and that total permit fees for 2024 were about $225,000. He cautioned that permit‑listed construction values can change during a project because of contract extras, but the city reports the initial declared value when issuing permits.

Council members did not direct additional action during the presentation. Matt invited questions and said the city could provide further breakdowns on request.

The presentation followed a handout and a graph that compared annual construction values, which Matt provided to council members.