Sky Schaudt/KJZZ

A home under construction in north Phoenix in January 2021.

Phoenix construction activity is getting close to levels seen in 2006, just before the housing crash and Great Recession. And the increased demand is creating jobs at City Hall.

On Thursday, the City Council approved adding 34 new positions to review backlogs in the Planning and Development Department. That includes several people to speed up the screening and routing process for plans submitted electronically.

“At the conclusion of fiscal year 20-21, planning will have issued approximately 47,000 total construction permits and will have completed 275,000 inspections,” said Mayor Kate Gallego.

Planning and Development will also add human resources positions to expedite recruitment and hiring and develop internship and apprenticeship programs to help address long-term employment needs. Details on the apprenticeship program should be shared with council members in late August or early September.

A new software system is scheduled to come online in August which is expected to streamline electronic plan review, particularly for residential reviews. 

The department will also hire a consultant to analyze operations and make recommendations to streamline plan review and inspection turnaround times. All costs should be covered by fees the department collects.