Lakeville, which has been a hot homebuilding market for the past two years, wound up as the metro area's busiest community for single-family home construction in 2013, according to the latest figures from the Keystone Report for the Builders Association of the Twin Cities.

Lakeville recorded 365 homebuilding permits for the year, up from 261 in 2012. While large national builders like DR Horton and Lennar accounted for a good portion of the building, local companies like Brandl-Anderson of Eagan, GBI Homes of Chaska, ­Keyland Homes of Prior Lake and Young­field Homes of Lakeville also were major contributors. So were two builders that are part of Edina-based Tradition Cos.: Robert Thomas Homes and Homes by Tradition.

Other Dakota County communities seeing increased homebuilding last year include Apple Valley, with 54 permits in 2013 vs. 42 in 2012; Eagan, with 108 compared with 75; Farmington, with 135 compared with 72; Inver Grove Heights, with 62 vs. 39; Mendota Heights, with 8 vs. 5; and Rosemount, with 92 compared with 62. Burnsville went from 10 permits down to 4, and Hastings went from 40 down to 31, according to the association's report.

Elsewhere in the south metro area, Prior Lake's homebuilding permits in 2013 totaled 148, up from 134, while Jordan's rose from 13 to 23. Shakopee's building activity was flat, with 77 permits compared with 78 in 2012. Savage saw a slight decline, from 129 in 2012 to 124 in 2013.

Overall, the metro area had a robust year for homebuilding, according to the report. For the first time since 2006, the Twin Cities had permits for more than 10,000 units — single-family homes and multiunit dwellings. That was 14 percent higher than 2012.

Apple Valley Business of the Year

The Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce recently named Apple Valley Medical Center as Business of the Year at the chamber's annual awards luncheon.

The award was voted by the chamber's board of directors based on nominations from chamber members. The other finalist was Wings Financial Credit Union.

In presenting the award, Chamber President Edward Kearney said, "Apple Valley Medical Center is a medical institution which is doctor-owned and a model other communities would covet." He noted that it is very active in the business community as well as the community at large. Over the years the medical center has sponsored numerous chamber events as well as Relay for Life, Toys for Tots, Red Cross drives and food shelf internships.

The medical center was started in 1974 in Apple Valley and employs more than 500 people. The facility, which offers family medicine, specialty care, occupational health, physical therapy, imaging, pharmacy and eye care services, underwent a major expansion about three years ago.

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