Fort Erie development shifting to ‘stable and normalized growth’
May 12, 2026 at 11:06 AM
It may not have been the frenetic pace of a few years ago but building activity in Fort Erie remained strong in 2025, thanks in part to significant projects in the industrial and commercial sectors.
The nine building permits for the industrial sector represented $19.9 million in activity, a nearly $13.5 million increase from 2024.
Construction of the new water tower on Pettit Road played a large role in that increase, helping to offset a decrease in building activity for the residential sector, coordinator of planning and development services Felicia Ferrusi told councillors at the May 11 committee meeting.
All told, the town issued 519 building permits in 2025, representing 177 residential units and $134 million in construction value.
“While this reflects a decrease in building permits from 2024, the activity level remains strong and reflects a shift towards more stable and normalized growth following several high growth years,” Ferrusi said.
In 2024, the town issued 684 permits, representing roughly $167 million in construction value.
While not as significant as the industrial sector, commercial building growth also saw a bump from 2024 to 2025. Last year town officials issued 34 commercial permits, which marked $6.8 million construction value, up from 31 permits and $6.4 million in construction value the previous year. Work at the Flying J Travel Center and Turtle Club Day Care led the way.
For the institutional sector, the number of permits was down slightly, 13 in 2024 and 10 last year, but the overall construction value saw a marked increase. Staff attributed the increase–$13.9 million last year, up from $2.2 million in 2024–to the construction of the new hospice building.
Beyond the workload, Ferrusi said staff also largely surpassed timeline targets issued by the province, averaging permit review timelines at or near half the time the province regulates. Staff met the regulations more than 95 per cent of the time.
Much like with permits, development applications saw a decrease last year.
“Application activity remained relatively strong overall,” said Ferrusi, which allows the town to “maintain a strong residential pipeline through registered, draft approved and active plans of subdivision.”
The 473 units in registered plans represent 2.4 years worth of supply, while the 2,544 units in a draft approved state represent nearly 13 years of supply. Finally, the 468 units in an active plan state also represent about 2.4 years of supply.
A few other items of note in Ferrusi’s presentation included eight Ontario Land Tribunal appeals, three of which the town won and five were settled.
“Resulting in positive outcomes for the municipality,” Ferrusi said.
The town also designated 12 properties as heritage last year, and received eight applications for the affordable housing community improvement plan.
Regional council supports town’s fight to save Douglas Memorial
Town approves short-term rental parking pilot program
Council grants multi-year extensions to two Fort Erie developments
About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
Stay Informed