Predevelopment and planning
The earliest public evidence may be a preapplication, zoning case, subdivision, site improvement plan, neighborhood meeting or public hearing. These records can be commercially useful because they appear before building permits, but proposals can still change or stop.
Permitting and construction
Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, grading, right-of-way, fire and sign permits can appear as separate records. Inspections then provide evidence that construction is progressing through specific checkpoints.
Completion and occupancy
Final inspections and certificates of occupancy help distinguish a project that merely received approval from one that is reaching usable completion. Business-opening records may provide another downstream signal for commercial projects.