2018/09/25 - Mayor's Column: Construction Continues
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
Construction season in the Midwest usually begins once the weather thaws in the early spring and stretches until the ground begins to refreeze in the late fall. However, in O’Fallon, it seems that construction continues throughout the entire year.
O’Fallon leads the area in residential and commercial building growth. Building growth is good for O’Fallon, and good for the economy. New construction brings not only new investment, but also good paying construction jobs. When the construction is complete, hopefully those new buildings are filled with good paying jobs that stay in O’Fallon for a long time.
O’Fallon is consistently the fastest growing, in terms of single-family residential building growth, community in the St. Louis Metro East, and the fifth-fastest growing in the entire St. Louis region. This year is no different, in fact we are on pace to exceed the numbers produced in O’Fallon over the last few years.
As of August 31, 2018, 119 new single-family homes have been permitted, year to date. This is well ahead of the number at this time last year: 93. We typically average 150-160 new homes built in O’Fallon, each year. This year, if the trend continues, that number should increase to over 170 new homes, or maybe even higher!
New home growth is a great indicator of community success. It translates to the desirability of the community. People want to live in O’Fallon. Residential growth is also good for your property values. The more desirable the community is to live in, the higher your property values are. Communities that are losing population are also sometimes experiencing decreasing property values.
New residential growth can help bring commercial growth. Businesses – retailers, offices, etc. look to locate where they can be successful. This normally means close to their customers. As O’Fallon’s population continues to grow, so will its business population. We are seeing this in O’Fallon.
You can drive around O’Fallon and see our commercial construction success. Here are just a few new commercial developments in O’Fallon, either going through the approval process, awaiting construction, or already being built, in no particular order.
- Aberdeen Village Residential Development near the McKendree Metro RecPlex
- New Medical Office Building at Regency Park
- Marcus Theatre Expansion
- Park Bridge Station Commercial near the Family Sports Park
- Marriott Townplace Suites near Exit 16
- O’Fallon Station in Downtown O’Fallon
- First Street Exchange in Downtown O’Fallon
- Pekin Insurance at 930 Talon
- Demolition of Southview Plaza in preparation for its redevelopment
In addition to the projects above, there are a number of smaller developments around the City. If you are ever driving around and wonder about what is being built, please call City Hall and ask. We love to talk about new construction!
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!