Los Angeles Tops National Building Permit Value List

Los Angeles ranked first in the nation in building permit valuations last year, increasing 13.7% to $3.54 billion from $3.12 billion in 1984, according to data compiled by the Dun & Bradstreet Corp.

The value of building permits issued by the nation’s 200 largest cities increased by 10% to $55.1 billion in 1985, according to Joseph W. Duncan, the firm’s economist and chief statistician.

New York City ranked second with a gain of 15.9% to $2.37 billion last year from $2.04 billion in 1984.

Dallas, despite a 16.5% decrease in building permit values to $2.07 billion, ranked third. San Diego, with an 18.1% gain to $1.97 billion, ranked fourth, followed by Phoenix with a 3% increase to $1.27 billion. Rounding out the top 10 were Houston, Austin, Tex., San Francisco, Chicago and Nashville, Tenn. Duncan added that “a significant number of cities in the . . . Midwest were among those with the largest percent increases, reflecting the increased construction in these areas, while activity has plateaued in many Sun Belt areas.”

The largest increase was in Kansas City, Kan., where permit values rose 301.1% to $216.5 million from $54 million in 1984. A $170.5-million permit for an auto plant accounted for most of the increase.

The large number of cities in the Northeast and New England regions in the top 25 underscores the strong growth in these regions, he added.

Cambridge, Mass. ranked second in percentage gain with an increase of 208.4% to $520 million from $168.6 million in 1984, and Trenton, N.J. was third with a 197.5% increase to $50.4 million from $16.9 million in 1984, Duncan said.