Commercial growth in Brookhaven has slowed to an 18-month low,with only two new commercial construction projects still ongoingafter a growth spurt that persisted throughout much of 2008, a cityofficial said.

Work being done on the Holiday Inn Express hotel near Interstate55 and the construction of the Bank of Franklin at the intersectionof Highway 51 and Brookway Boulevard are the only two commercialprojects ongoing in the city, said Building Inspector Chip Gennarosaid. The two jobs have a combined value of approximately $4.6million.

A third project, the construction of a new branch of PikeNational Bank at Highway 51 and Union Street, is being planned andnearing its start date, Gennaro said.

“We don’t have much other than what people are seeing rightnow,” he said. “It’s not as fast as usual. We’re still doing plentyof inspections like we would normally, but as far as building, ithas noticeably slowed down the last couple of months.”

Gennaro said only 32 building permits – mostly residential -have been issued from his office since Nov. 1, marking the slowestperiod of construction since he assumed his position in August2007. He normally issues 20-25 permits per month, he said.

Even though city activity is slow, Brookhaven-Lincoln CountyChamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Cliff Brumfield saidthe few projects still going are important ones.

An expanded hotel and two new banks have the potential to createas many as 60 jobs, he estimated, calling all three projects”major” commerce centers providing services the city needs. Theconstruction of the businesses is providing jobs to dozens ofconstruction crewmen now, he said.

“All things considered, we’re mighty glad we have the projectsgoing on that we do, which are all fairly substantial projects forany community,” Brumfield said. “Most American cities are seeing alarge number of businesses and factories close. The fact that wehave these projects under construction – as well as the fact ourlosses have been fairly minimal – are all signs people should haveconfidence in our local economy.”

Brumfield said each of the new projects, once complete, shouldhave long life spans and pave the way for related businesses.Additionally, each project is using property that was eithersitting idle or being used in a lesser economic sense, he said.

“We are going through some hard times, but the recession is nothitting us near as hard as it is the rest of the country,”Brumfield said. “The doom and gloom does not pertain word for wordto our area. People should remember when planning purchases thatthis is perhaps the best time in decades to buy a new automobile orhouse. It’s purchases like this that keep our economy movingforward.”

Brumfield is confident the local economy will remain strong andthe pace of construction will pick back up.

Gennaro believes the same. He pointed out some projects, thelike the forthcoming construction of an Arby’s on BrookwayBoulevard, are being held up more by recent wet weather than by theeconomy. Furthermore, construction prices are down, he said, andnow is a good time to build.

“Right now, we’re getting rain every couple of days and it’shard to start anything,” Gennaro said. “I feel like as soon as theweather straightens out a little it ought to pick up some.”

As for the two projects under way, Gennaro said crews areworking fast. Most of the steel framework for the $3 million hotelexpansion has been erected, he said, and the project should shiftinto a new phase soon. The $1.62 million bank has been roofed, andGennaro will soon inspect the building’s interior.