Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/875930
46 • october 2017 • world fence news included as construction starts in July – the $2.2 billon Carlsbad Energy Center in Carlsbad, Calif. and the $1.6 billion Cricket Valley Energy Center in Dover Plains, N.Y. There were five other large power plant projects that reached ground- breaking in July, located in Connecti- cut ($550 million), Georgia ($400 million), Minnesota ($300 million), Arkansas ($203 million), and Nebras- ka ($150 million) Residential building in July was $301.1 billion (annual rate), up 8%. Multifamily housing increased 30%, strengthening after three monthly de- clines in a row. There were nine multifamily proj- ects valued at $100 million or more that reached groundbreaking in July, led by the $360 million Wolf Point East apartment tower in Chicago, the $225 million multifamily portion of the $280 million mixed-use redevel- opment of the Domino sugar factory in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a $225 million condominium tower in Honolulu. In July, the top five metropolitan areas in terms of the dollar amount of multifamily starts were – New York, N.Y., Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Atlanta. Through the first seven months of 2017, the top five metropolitan areas, with their percent change from a year ago, were – New York, N.Y., down 20%; Los Angeles, up 16%; Chicago, down 2%; San Francisco, up 27%; and Washington, D.C., up 6%. Single family housing in July was flat with the previous month, not yet showing renewed growth after set- tling back 4% in the second quarter following its first quarter 6% gain. By geography, single family hous- ing in July performed as follows rela- tive to June – the Northeast, up 3%; the South Central, up 2%; the South Atlantic, up 1%; the West, unchanged; and the Midwest, down 3%. Nonresidential building in July was $231.2 billion (annual rate), down 7%. The commercial categories as a group dropped 22%, retreating after climbing 24% in June. Office construction in June had surged 82%, boosted by the start of eight office projects valued at $100 million or more, led by a $585 million Facebook data center in Omaha, Neb. and the $400 million office portion of the $500 million renovation of the Willis Tower in Chicago. In July office construction fell 52%, with only one project valued at $100 million or more – the $118 mil- lion Wheaton Town Center in Whea- ton, Md. A similar pattern was present for hotels, which surged 65% in June with the push coming from the start of the $575 million hotel portion of the $900 million Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino expansion in Holly- wood, Fla. In July hotel construction fell 42%, with the largest project being the $78 million hotel portion of a $115 million hotel/apartment mixed-use project near the Seattle-Tacoma Inter- national Airport. On the plus side, warehouse con- struction jumped 46% in July, lifted by the start of a $144 million ware- house complex in Stockton, Calif., a $135 million Wal-Mart distribution center in Mobile, Ala., and a $100 million Amazon distribution center in Fresno, Calif. July gains were also reported for commercial garages, up 9%; and stores and shopping centers, up 7%. Manufacturing plant construction in July fell 29% from its June amount that included the start of a $1.8 billion methane plant in Louisiana. While down from June, manufac- turing plant construction did see the start of several large projects in July, such as a $1.1 billion polyethylene plant expansion in Beaumont, Tex. The institutional side of the non- residential building market climbed 16% in July, in contrast to the declines reported for the commercial and man- ufacturing segments. Healthcare facilities jumped 108% after a weak June, led by groundbreaking for the $1.5 billion Penn Medicine Patient Pavilion in Philadelphia. Other large healthcare facility projects that started in July were the following – the $349 million Inspira Medical Center in Glassboro, N.J., the $125 million Bristal Jericho assist- ed living facility in Oyster Bay, N.Y., a $110 million hospital expansion in Bethesda, Md., and a $105 million ambulatory care complex at the Uni- versity of Utah in Salt Lake City. Transportation terminal construc- tion also posted a large percentage in- crease after a weak June, rising 85% with the help of a $121 million aircraft maintenance facility at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. The religious building catego- ry, while still at a very low level, in- creased 24% in July. On the negative side, educational facilities slipped 3% in July, although the category did include the start of several large school construction proj- ects, including a $104 million high school renovation in Cleburne, Tex., a $104 million high school in Buda, Tex., a $96 million public school complex in Willoughby, Ohio, and a $91 million high school in Stoughton, Mass. Through the first seven months of 2017, the top five states in terms of the dollar amount of educational facility construction were – Texas, New York, California, Washington, and Massa- chusetts. The Dodge Report continued from page 32 continued on page 66