Independent Record, Helena, Mont., Open for Business column.

By John Harrington, Independent Record, Helena, Mont. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 10--The final numbers are in, and they're impressive. The city of Helena issued 303 commercial building permits in 2004, for everything from new roofs to new doors to entire new office buildings. The value of the work permitted passed $40 million: $41,621,078, to be exact. That big number is even more impressive when you realize that the lion's share of the $37 million expansion of St. Peter's Hospital has yet to pass through the building department for permitting. The last few years, Helena's commercial total has averaged in the mid-$30 millions. We're still dwarfed …