SIOUX FALLS , S.D. (KELO AM) - Butch Warrington has just completed his first few weeks as the city's new czar of building permits, and while nothing has knocked his socks off just yet he says the work has been steady.
"We got a $25 million project at Dow Rummel, there's a lot of other buildings but nothing really huge," Warrington told KELO Radio's It's Your Business with Bill Zortman. He added that a majority of his work has been for single-family homes, with a balance between the million-dollar mansions and starter models.
A permit for Copper Pass Apartments was also approved recently, that project comes in at nearly $3 million. Warrington said the market for apartments remains strong in the city, however he expects those numbers to take a turn south in the near future as apartment dwellers begin to transition to homeowners.
Warrington added that many of the projects he's signed off on have been in the pipeline for a few weeks, so no major surprises so far. He does keep in contact with former permits Chief Ron Bell, who shared a key piece of advice with him recently.
"I did talk to Ron just the other day, and I have to tell you; he's lost some weight, he's looking good, and he told me one very important thing- retirement is completely underrated!"