The Carmike 12 theater at Bradley Square Mall, announced in October 2011, is among the $15 million in construction projects that began in Cleveland in the month of April.

For the same period of time, Bradley County reported $18.9 million on the strength of four commercial and industrial building permits.

The Voice of Evangelism pulled a $13.4 million permit for the Omega Ranch on Tillie Road N.E. and adjacent to Urbane Road, north of the Bradley County recreation area.

According to the Voice of Evangelism website, the Omega Ranch Project will be built in three phases. The first phase includes a large facility to house a youth ministry center, along with a larger meeting place for events, gatherings, conventions, partner conferences, camp meetings and prophetic conferences.

Phase II plans call for one of the most unique youth camp and retreat facilities, according to the website. Situated on the “Ranch,” the buildings will have a Western theme and include a game and sports pavilion at the train station, a large barn for morning and evening services, other buildings such as the Freedom Jail, Omega Bank, God’s Theatre for the arts and worship, and a large cafeteria in the town’s general store. A theme park type of setting will blend into the farm/ranch atmosphere on the land.

The third phase will be a working farm from which much of the food grown and raised will be given to the poor and needy in the area.

The other three commercial and industrial permits include two from Wacker Polysilicon North America worth $5.4 million and one for a $60,000 remodeling job for Angela’s Homestyle Restaurant.

Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland said the 12-screen theater at the mall accounts for more than $5.5 million of the commercial construction projects now in progress in Cleveland. The new cinema complex is scheduled to open in October. A 112-unit luxury apartment addition to The Retreat at Spring Creek at 300 25th St., accounts for about $8.2 million, followed by a renovation project downtown for Capital Mark Bank at 10 Church St. N.E., valued at $550,000.

Rowland, who looks forward each month to the report of permits issued through the Development and Engineering Department, said the report includes residential, commercial, industrial, public and semi-public projects and “is an excellent barometer of progress and economic growth.”

The significant permits include the luxury apartments, the movie theatre, bank renovation and a $212,000 permit for handicap conversions for residential units at 2745 Executive Park Drive. He noted residential units for single family dwellings in the city accounted for $452,000 of the permits issued. Included in the residential figures are the most recent Habitat for Humanity homes on Century Avenue.

The mayor said the movie theater is a long-awaited construction for the mall and “it’s exciting to see this coming to the northern sector of the City.”

He noted the addition of luxury apartments to the gated Retreat marks the second large investment in the city by TDK Construction of Murfreesboro.

“This group has shown a great deal of faith in our community through their investments and involvement,” Rowland said. “This marks the second investment, the first being a 199-unit gated neighborhood, which has been at full occupancy almost since the day it opened. It is a beautiful addition to the 25th Street/APD 40 area across from Spring Creek, Cleveland’s first lifestyle retail/residential development.”

Bradley County reported just over $2 million in residential construction based on 13 permits.