Commercial, business permits near $15 million mark in Lawton

Lawton commercial and business permits totaled almost $15 million in the last two months of 2022 even as new home construction remained in the doldrums.

Lawtonians eager to cut their energy bills and prepare for disasters provided a bright spot in residential remodeling.

Building permits totaled $5.56 million in November and $9.41 million in December.

Rising interest rates continued to put a damper on new home construction. The city issued one single-family home permit valued at $325,000 in November and one permit valued at $200,000 in December.

Spending on generators and solar panels topped $2.8 million in the two months, the vast majority of the total going for solar panels.

The largest project, valued at $6.6 million, was for completion of the renovation of Lawton City Hall. The project will include converting three floors in the building (formerly Lawton High School and then Central Junior High) to house offices now located in the old City Hall Annex north of Carnegie Library Town Hall. The renovations are being funded through the 2019 Capital Improvements Program.

Another extensive renovation — valued at $982,380 — is for the histology (the study of cells, such as biopsies under a microscope) department at Comanche County Memorial Hospital, 3401 W. Gore.

Another major project, valued at $750,000, is construction of a new sanctuary for Zion Baptist Church, 2101 SW N.H. Jones Avenue;

Other large commercial permits included:

•A $150,000 demolition permit for the interior at Great Plains Medical Square, 3811 W. Gore;

•A $121,151 permit to add four offices at 1104 SE 36th for Community Access Inc., which provides services for the developmentally disabled;

•A $101,000 permit to construct a 9,900-square-foot parking lot for Silver-Line Plastics, 8801 SW Neal Blvd.;

•A $63,000 permit for a roof for Western Hills Church of Christ, 1108 NW 53rd;

•Two permits totaling $60,000 for fences at Woodland Hills Elementary School, 405 NW Woodland Drive, and Whittier Elementary School, 1115 NW Laird Blvd.;

•A $49,000 permit for roofing at Coldwell Banker Crossroads, Realtors, at 1146 Cache Road;

•A $48,000 permit for a 2,400-square-foot equipment storage building at Bar-S Foods, 802 SW Goodyear Blvd.;

•A $43,440 permit to remove underground fuel storage tanks at the former convenience store at 1312 N. Sheridan Road;

•A $40,000 permit to modify at cell tower at 221 SE Park Ave.;

•A $35,000 permit to upgrade the AT&T Mobility tower at 1404 NE 45th;

•A $25,000 permit to upgrade the T-Mobile cell tower at 7503 Cache Road;

•A $24,057 permit to install access control for the Insurica and Department of Human Services offices at 10 SW 2nd;

•A $20,000 permit to add handicapped-accessible bathrooms at Kae Dee Day Care, 2202 SW E;

•A $20,000 remodeling permit for a massage center and restaurant at 1802 Fort Sill Blvd.; and

•A $15,000 permit for an ice machine and concrete pad for Kano’s Ice Shack, 4518 E. Lee.