News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville, Algood, and Monterey all saw increases in the number of building permits issued in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Algood City Administrator Keith Morrison said the city saw thirty-eight building permits last year, three more than 2023, with fees totaling some $116,000. Morrison said the total fees went up some $68,000 because of an increase in large commercial projects in the city.
“We’re running out of empty land to build on,” Morrison said. “So we’re not going to have a whole lot more to build unless we annex or expand. And so at this point it’s not huge enough for us to see a large change, but it is a change and it impacts travel in what we’re seeing.”
Cookeville Chief Building Official David Clouse said the city recorded three hundred fifty-five permits in 2024 with a combined total job cost around $116 million. Clouse said 2023 had three hundred twenty-seven permits with a total cost of some $123 million.
“What’s that, about a seven million shift in cost? Where that comes in is on the commercial side,” Clouse said. “For example, in ’24 our big commercial projects, we had a few spec buildings that were built over in the industrial park that have not been finished out yet, so those numbers are lower, whereas in ’23 we had projects like Tennessee Heart and Tier 1. And of course a medical office, your building’s going to be a lot more expensive than in a warehouse, factory-type setting.”
Putnam County Codes Director Stephen Parker said Monterey saw nine building permits comprised of three new homes, three additions, two alterations, and a garage. Parker said the cost of those permits was some $49,000 with the inclusion of four mechanical permits.
“It seems like every place is growing, especially in Putnam County,” Parker said. “There’s a lot of new homes and businesses that are coming in. I’ve seen Monterey, they’ve got the new restaurants coming in, even a Domino’s. So they’re growing a little here, a little there.”
Parker said there were six building permits in Monterey from 2023 that totaled some $16,000.
Baxter Mayor Danny Holmes said the city issued fifty building permits that brought in some $34,000 in 2024. Holmes said there were eighty-one permits totaling around $86,000 the year before but the reason behind the decrease is unclear.
“Everybody’s wanting to come to Baxter,” Holmes said. “This is where the building is started and we’ve got a lot of homes that are supposed to be being built, so we don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
