Home building in Johnson County down, but trend not expected to last

Home building has started slow so far this year, but that trend isn’t expected to last.

Across the state, developers have gotten 16 percent more building permits for homes for the first five months of this year, compared to the same time in 2015. But in Johnson County, the number of permits issued is down by 5 percent during that same time period, according to data from the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

But local officials said they aren’t seeing a slowdown in building.

In the last year, at least eight new subdivisions have been approved across the county, which will add more than 1,400 new homes in the coming years.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

At least three of those new neighborhoods are planned in Bargersville, which has recently been the county’s fastest growing community.

In the past, builders had been most attracted to the Center Grove area, or unincorporated White River Township. But interest in the small town in the southern portion of the township is growing.

So far this year, 43 permits have been issued to build new homes in the town. And in unincorporated areas of the county, 49 permits have been issued so far, according to the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis. The Center Grove area is still a popular area, with at least 300 new homes proposed in that area in the last few months.

But Bargersville is becoming a key area, developers have said.

Just last month, the town issued 13 permits, with homes being built in the Wyncrest, Shadowood and Kensington Proper neighborhoods, with some topping prices of $400,000, according to the town’s building permit report for June.

But building also continues across Johnson County.

In Greenwood, as many as four subdivisions are currently under construction, so building permits won’t decrease any time soon, city planning director Bill Peeples said.

Of the 240 building permits issued in Johnson County during the first five months of the year, 113 of them are in Greenwood, according to the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

The amount of permits issued and the locations where the houses will be built are consistent with recent years, Peeples said.

In Franklin, the city only issued one fewer permit in May 2016 compared to last year, remaining pretty steady, Franklin senior planner Joanna Myers said. Franklin has issued 18 building permits for single-family homes, according to the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Here is a look at the number of building permits issued for home so far in Johnson County through May this year, compared to the same time period last year:

Community;Permits issued 2015;Permits issued 2016

Johnson County;240;228

Unincorporated areas;70;49

Bargersville;20;43

Edinburgh;1;1

Franklin;27;18

Greenwood;115;113

New Whiteland;2;0

Prince’s Lakes;2;0

Trafalgar;2;4

Whiteland;1;0

SOURCE: Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis

[sc:pullout-text-end]