The City of Oshawa has extended its freeze on building permit fees into 2025.

The move is part of an effort to support the development community and encourage continued growth, said the city.

The city revealed the plan on its website, emphasizing its commitment to fostering new business opportunities and job creation.

“Economic forecasts project a strong year ahead for the city, with robust building activity and new construction records,” the city stated.

In addition to continuing the permit-fee freeze, Oshawa is introducing several service improvements to streamline development processes. A new 24/7 online application service will allow applicants to submit and pay for building permits more conveniently, the city asserted.

The city is also increasing staffing levels to ensure faster processing times and will conduct concurrent reviews of building-permit applications alongside site plan applications to expedite approvals.

Further enhancements include a same-day inspection service for requests made before 9 a.m., as well as a concierge customer-service approach that integrates multiple city departments to assist developers and investors throughout the permitting and construction process.

Photo: Shutterstock