There is little new to report in terms of house construction within Bradley.

In the annual report from the village’s Community Development Department headed by Matt Castilla, the village had only 16 single-family housing starts, with a combined value of $3.46 million.

While the number is viewed as progress, Castilla noted in Fiscal Year 2024, the village had 17 single-family housing starts and the value of those developments were $3.99 million.

By comparison, however, the single-family home value in the village averaged $252,875, up $18,111 from 2024 valuation of $234,764.

The years of hundreds of new houses being constructed within Kankakee County are many years in the rearview mirror as the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 ended that chapter locally.

Castilla conceded the new housing number is very small.

Bradley leadership believes better days may be ahead as development moves here, in particular, the planned massive water park project on property near Northfield Square mall.

“Things are going as expected,” Mayor Mike Watson said after the meeting.

Regarding housing, he said those numbers will eventually pick up, and he is confident local builders will help satisfy those demands.

Turning the attention to commercial construction value, there were 86 permits issued accounting for $25.4 million of development. In 2024, commercial development accounted for $22.6 million.

Castilla noted the Fiscal Year 2025 commercial construction figure did not include the approximate $50-million 315 Bradley Sports Park, which was developed and constructed by Bradley taxpayers.

It wasn’t just new housing which declined in this year-over-year report.

Castilla noted building department permits decreased 9.1% to 936, down from 1,030 building permits in 2024. In total, building permit fees declined from $203,115 in 2024 to $192,229 in 2025, a drop of $10,886.