Residential construction in Lawton tops $5 million last month

Commercial construction permits slowed in September, but a new wave of residential construction — fueled largely by the prospects of new industry — took up the slack.

The city issued 28 permits for new homes valued at $5.5 million last month, making it the third consecutive month with permits in double digits. Twenty-seven of the permits were for D.R. Porter, the nation’s largest home builder, in the Rolling Hills addition at Southwest 38th Street and Bishop Road in southwest Lawton. The company also purchased 11 permits in the same addition in July.

Devin Holloway, vice president of operations for D.R. Horton, said the company hopes to build dozens more homes in Rolling Hills and also is applying to build 19 homes in the West Hill addition at Southwest 82nd Street and Lee Boulevard.

Holloway said discussion of placing a cobalt refinery in Lawton lured the home builder here.

He said the idea of expanding to Lawton arose when a developer the company works with offered some lots here for construction.

“We decided this was an opportunity, what with the refinery and what I believe will eventually be more industry related to manufacturing,” in particular, battery production that would use the cobalt from the refinery.

In addition, new home construction has been slow in recent years, so “I think there’s pent-up demand for it.”

Twelve homes are already under construction in Rolling Hills, he said, and the company hopes to have its model home ready soon. There are six versions ranging from 1,614 square feet to 2,024 square feet and from $266,990 to $296,990.

There are 71 additional lots available in Rolling Hills, Holloway said, and more space near West Hill.

“If sales prove to be consistent and there is demand for more homes, we’ll build more homes,” he said.

There is also more activity in a project to construct duplexes in the Lawton View area north of the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport. Builders Investment Group, which purchased 10 permits earlier this year, added seven permits valued at almost $1.5 million for an additional seven duplexes in September.

Yet another aspect of residential construction that showed growth was in solar panel installations. The city issued 76 permits valued at more than $2.2 million for such projects in September.

June’s hailstorm continued to be reflected in the statistics in September — roofing projects totaled more than $1.16 million.

Commercial permits totaled only $897,935 last month. The largest permits included:

•A $250,000 roofing permit for a storage facility at 102 S. 11th (formerly the Save-A-Lot) grocery;

•A $240,000 remodeling permit for Zales at 341 NW 2nd in Lawton Town Center;

•A $69,645 permit for roofing at the State Finance Building, 1907 W. Gore;

•A $60,000 permit for roofing at 402 SE Larrance;

•A $52,957 permit for roofing at First United Pentecostal Church, 816 SW G; and

•A $34,564 for remodeling at Lawton Pointe Apartments, 2202 NW Hoover.