Building permit activity picks up after two-year downturn

    After two years of declining residential and commercial construction in the city of Imperial, activity in 2022 made a comeback.
    Residential and commercial building permits in 2022 reached $3,166,000.
    The majority of Imperial building activity for 2022, or $3,011,000, was for residential projects, which include the largest project of the year—Imperial Zion Lutheran Church’s 5,500 square foot addition at $1.2 million.
    Three new homes are also included in the residential activity for 2022. The balance of the residential permits were for additions, garages, major renovations, sheds, decks and fences.
    Only two commercial expansion projects had building permits in 2022 amounting to $155,000.
    Building activity in 2021 of $680,160 marked the first time since 2005 that city building permits did not reach at least the $1 million mark.
    While 2022 will be remembered as a year of drought with 8.5% inflation and some of the highest gas prices on record, on the positive side, the year also saw an end to severe COVID restrictions and continued good crop prices.
    At the end of the year in 2021, cash price for corn was $6.13/bu., wheat was at $8.02/bu. and the price for soybeans was $13.03.
    As 2022 came to a close the past week, cash prices on all three crops were up. On Dec. 28, corn was selling at $7.54/bu., wheat was $8.27/bu. while soybeans were priced at $14.45/bu.
Business activity
    An addition at a firearms business, JM Precision, owned by Jake and Marissa McDaniel was given a 2022 permit. The owners purchased a building at 171 No. Highway 61, moving there from north of Wauneta.
    Another commercial permit was for major equipment additions for T-Mobile on the tower near Mt. Hope Cemetery.
    While they did not require building permits, there was a lot of other business activity in 2022.
    Several new businesses were established.
    Cyndi Langenfeld opened Little Lovebugs Child Care Center in the Imperial Manor’s lower level.

    Weiss Hydration was started by Kym Weiss. She has commercial locations in Imperial and Grant, including the Myrtle Health Urgent Care Clinic at 623 Broadway.
    Laurie Odens opened Laurie O’s Beauty Lounge in her residential property at 611 West 5th Street after gaining city approval to operate the business in a residential district.
    Rainbow Playhouse LLC operated by Estafania Franco Escobar is completing state requirements to open a daycare in the United Methodist Church property on East 5th Street, but was not yet open in 2022. It received a conditional use permit to operate in a residential zone.
    Paperwork on several business ownership changes was completed in 2022.
    M & M’s Natural JAZ at 617 Broadway was purchased by Heather Johnson and renamed Grace’s Kitchen Table.
    Veterinary Services purchased Keith Regier’s feed business at 120 Holland Street, naming it Regier Feeds.
    MorningStar Cafe at 140 East 12th Street was purchased by Dan and Kelly Long from Cindy and Jeff Castor.
    Wolf Auto at 530 East Highway 6 completed paperwork in June for purchase of Harchelroad Motors, and the dealership change was finalized in 2022 by General Motors.
    The Sale Barn Cafe was opened in 2022 at Imperial Auction Market, 130 Adelaide Street, and operated by Lucy Aragon.    
    Businesses moved locations and added services in 2022.
    Agent Linda Maiden moved her State Farm Insurance office to 501 Broadway from 611 Broadway.
    An electric car charging station was added at Imperial Country Ford at 5th Street and Highway 61.
    In addition to Zion Lutheran Church’s major addition for classrooms and daycare space,  there was other church activity including added services and one church building sale.
    Crossroads Wesleyan Church at 1710 Wesley Drive opened a women’s resource center providing both physical and spiritual assistance to women and children.
    The former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses church building at 1248 Douglas Street was sold to Kar-Mar LLC and is being remodeled for residential use.
    Two new spec homes built by Homes 33 LLC received permits in 2022. One is for sale at 737 Wesley Drive, and another is just starting construction at 103 Yucca Drive. Another home is under construction in Imperial’s Wesley Addition.
    Jorge and Grisela Marquez are finishing a new home northeast of Imperial at 74091 335 Avenue.
    In Wauneta, there were a number of business improvements.
    Good Times Bar was purchased by the owners of Enders Lake Golf Course, Trevor and Kari Amen.
    Wauneta Crossroads owners Tracy and Janice Haarberg opened Crossroads Hardware along Highway 6.
    Meadowlark Lane, a coffee and flower shop with a gift line, opened on Wauneta’s main street by Jamie Shifflet and London Maris.
    Landon Lemberg opened Advanced Mechanical Systems, LLC in the Advanced Auto Parts and Repair building. He offers heating and air conditioning work.
Other improvements,
notables in 2022
    The building permit dollar total in no way represents all of the residential and commercial upgrades in Imperial and Chase County in 2022—many improvements do not require building permits.
    Dennis Kunnemann’s WellPark housing development on CCS’s former Wellington football field at 12th and Wellington Sts. gained formal approval to move ahead with plans for 13-14 new homes. The Planning Commission and council approved the replat and a sewer extension district for the property, and closed a street that had been platted east-west through the property to accommodate the development. Dirt fill and leveling were completed before the end of 2022.
    Other improvements in Imperial during 2022 included new parking lots at Sunset Homes, an Art Park along West 8th Street, upgrades at the Schroeder Park ballfields and contracting for a solar farm to augment the city’s electrical needs. Plans for City Square development were also unveiled in 2022 with application for a matching state construction grant given the go-ahead in late in 2022.
    Drs. Kayla Luhrs and James Kerr joined the staff at Chase County Community Hospital and clinics early in 2022, but the facilities lost the services of Nurse Practitioner Brandy Hanes and Physician’s Asst. Nicole Havel later in the year. A new Nurse Practitioner will join the hospital and clinics in February.
    The 6.73-mile stretch of Spur 15A between Imperial and Champion was resurfaced by the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
    The Chase County Fair Board added a new 4,500 square foot cement area to enlarge its VIP section.
    Late in the year, Chase County Schools celebrated installation of new playground equipment after the board approved the $275,387 expenditure in February.
    A new Imperial sales tax record was set for the largest monthly receipts on record (since 2009) with $54,581 coming back to the city for August sales.
    In April, WP’s board of education approved $8.4 million in improvements to include an all-purpose gym, cafeteria and commons area at the Wauneta Attendance Center; building materials were on site in December.