New industrial permit valuations continue on a tear in Los Angeles County, with the 10 month total up 161.7% to $250.3 million. In Orange County, the total is running ahead 78.9%, at $196.0 million. Ventura County is ahead 53.0% to $69.0 million, while San Diego County is up 26.1% to $219.0 million. However, the pace has moderated in the Riverside-San Bernardino area, with Riverside County off 1.0%, while San Bernardino County is up just 7.4%, to a still hefty $181.2 million. And while things are simmering down in Santa Clara County, industrial permits in the first 10 months are ahead 134.3% to a whopping $534.1 million.

New office construction is also healthy, with permit valuations in Los Angeles County up 82.6% to $255.0 million. Orange County is up 174.0% to $253.5 million, while San Diego County checks in with a 50.7% gain to $138.8 million. Ventura County has a monster increase of 559.5% to $23.1million (from a small base), while San Bernardino County is running 94.4% ahead of the like 1997 period, to a total of $20.4 million. Riverside County, however, is down 63.1%. And Santa Clara County? While down 37.2%, it still has a sizeable $261.3 million permit total.

And in the spirit of the holidays, developers are still putting up retail space, with Los Angeles County up 41.2% to $312.1 million. San Bernardino County is up 64.7% to $147.9 million, San Diego is ahead 29.4% to $115.6 million, and Ventura checks in with a 62.9% increase to $44.1 million. However, Orange and Riverside counties are running behind the year ago totals, with former down 18.0% to $131.0 million, and the latter off 13.5% at $145.0 million. And Santa Clara County? Retail permits are up 2.1% to a rather miserly $53.3 million.

Jack Kyser is with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). To contact LAEDC, call 213-622-4300.