Fort Smith metro building permit numbers down almost 18% through July
Building activity and permit values in the Fort Smith metro area, including Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren, saw a decline through July compared to the previous year. Among the commercial projects permitted in Van Buren was a new 1,300-square-foot data center addition valued at $999,000.
The Fort Smith metro area experienced a downturn in building activity and permit values through July, with overall regional permits totaling $168.213 million, an 17.7% decrease from $204.453 million in the same period last year. Fort Smith itself issued 381 permits in July worth $14.895 million, a 39.6% drop from the prior year, though it included two new commercial projects: a First Security Bank building and a Culver's Restaurant.
Van Buren, however, saw a significant increase in permit value in July, totaling $6.77 million across 84 projects, a 580% rise from July 2025. This included four commercial projects, notably a $4.8 million Home2 Suites hotel and a $999,000, 1,300-square-foot data center addition at 2431 Bekaert Road. Greenwood also reported an increase in July permit values, reaching $1.603 million from 48 permits, but its year-to-date total was down.